Solomon's temple spiritualized, or, Gospel-light brought out of the temple at Jerusalem, to let us more easily into the glory of New-Testament truths

Nfl/^V^ c4$'dn 4u/^/^^

mi^-i^j

Presented to the

LIBRARIES of the

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

by
Hugh Anson-Cartwright

SOLOMON'S TEMPLE

spiritualized;

OR *

GOSPEL-LIGHT

BROUGHT OUT OF THE

TEHZPXilES AT JBRUSAZiXilll,

TO LET US MORE EASILY INTO THE GLORY OF

BY JOHN BUNYAn!

Ezekiel xliii. 10, II.
The Son of Man shew the House to the House
of Israel— shew them the Form of the House,
and the Fashion thereof, and the Goings out
thereof, and the Comings in thereof, and all
the Forms thereof, and all the Ordinances
thereof, and all the Laws thereof.

y.E-PUBLISHE© BY COBB AND DEMIN»,

1824.

rrinUd by Deming ^ Francig^

Wethersfieid . Conn.

r

TO THE

Courteous Reader, ^

I HAVE as thou by this little book mayest see
adventured at this time, to do my endeavour to
shew thee something of the Gospel Glory of
Solomon's Temple ; that is, of what it, with its
utensils, was a type of ; and as such, how in-
structing it was to our fathers, and also is to us
their children. The which, that I might do the
more distinctly, I have handled particulars one
by one, to the number of threescore and ten ;
namely, all that of them I could call to mind,
because, as I believe there was not one of them
but had its signification, and so something pro-
fitable for us to know.

For though we are not now to worship God
in those methods, or by such ordinances as once
the old church did ; yet to know their methods,
and to understand the nature ttnd signification of
ordinances, when compared with the Gospel,
may even now, when tliemselves (as to what
they once enjoined on others) are dead, minister

if TO THE CHRISTIAN READER.

light to US. And hence the New-Testament
ministers, as the Apostles, made much use of
Old Testament language, and ceremonial insti-
tutions, as to their signification, to help the faith
of the godly in their preaching of the Gospel of
Christ. •

I may say, that God did, in a manner, tie up
the church of the Jews to types, figures and
similitudes, I mean to be hutted and bounded by
them in all external parts of worship. Yea, not
only^the Levitical law and temple, but as it
seems to me the whole land of Canaan, the
place of their lot to dwell in, was to them a cer-
emonial or a figure. Their land was a type o^
heaven, (Heb. iii. 6, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ; Lev. xix.
23, ch. xxvi. 34, 33 ; Exod. xii. 15 ; Lev. vi.
17, ch. xxiii. 17;) their passage over Jordan into
it, a similitude of our going to heaven by death.
The fruit of their land was said to be uncircum-
cised, as being at their first entrance thither un-
clean ; in which their land was also a figure of
another thing, even as heaven was a type of sin
and grace.

Again, The very land itself was said to keep
sabbath, and so to rest a holy rest, even when
she lay desolate, and not possessed of those to
whom she was given for them to dwell in.

Yea, many of the features of the then church
of God were set forth, as in figures and shadow
se by places, and things in that land.

TO THE CHRISTIAN" KEADER. V

1. Ill general, she is said to be beautiful as
Tirzah, (Song. vi. 4,) and to be comely as Je-
rusalem.

In particular, her neck is compared to t!ie
tower of David, builded for an armoury, (Song.
iv. 4,) her eyes to fish-pools of Heshbon, by
the gate of Bethrabbim, (chap. vii. 4,) her nose
is compared to the toAver of Lebanon, which
looked towards Damascus, (chap. iv. 1.) Yea
the hair of her head is compared to a flock of
goats, which come up from mount Gilead; and
the smell of her garments to the smell of Leba-
non, (ver. 11.)

Nor was this land altogether void of shadows,
even of her Lord and Saviour. Hence he says
of himself, I am the rose of Sharon, and the
lilly of the valleys, (Song. ii. 1.) Also she, his
beloved, saith of him, his countenance is as Leb-
anon, excellent as the cedars, (chap. v. 15.)
What shall I say ? The two cities, Sion and
Jerusalem, were such as sometimes set forth the
two churches, (Gal. iv,) the true and the false,
and their seed Isaac and Ishmael.

I might also here shew you, that even the
gifts and graces of the true church were set
forth by the spices, nuts, grapes, and pome-
granates that the land of Canaan brought forth.
Yea, that hell itself was set forth by the valley
of the sons of Hinmon, and Tophet, places in
1*

TI TO THE CHRISTIAN READF.R.

this country. Indeed, the whole in a manner
was typical and a figurative thing.

But I have in the ensuing discourse confined
myself to the temple, that immediate place of
God's worship ; of whose utensils in particular
as I haye said, I have spoken, though to each
with what brevity I could ; for that none of
them are without a spiritual, and so profitable
signification to us.

And here we may behold much of the rich-
ness of the wisdom and grace of God ; namely,
that he, even in the very place of worship of
old, should ordain visible forms and representa-
tions for the worshippers to learn them to wor-
ship him by. Yea, the temple itself was, as to
this, to them a good instruction.

But in my thus saying, I give no incourage-
ment to any now, to fetch out their own f mcies,
fissures, or similitudes to worship God by.
What God provided to be an help to the weak-
ness of his people of old, was one thing, and
what they invented without his commandment
was another. For though they had his blessing
when they worshipped him with such types,
shadows, and figures, which he hnd enjoined on
them for that purpose, (Exod. xxxii. 35 ; 2 Kings
xvii. 16, 17, 18 ; Acts vii. 38 — 43,) yet he sore-
ly punished and plagued them when they woul<l
add to these, inventions of their own. Vea, h-

TO THE CnRISTIAN READER. MI

in the very act of instituting their way of wor-
shipping him, forbade their giving, in any thing,
way to their own humors or fancies, and bound
them strictly to the orders of Heaven.

Look, said God to Moses, their first great le-
gislator, that thou make all things according to
the pattern shewed to thee in the mount, (Exod.
XXV. 40 ; Heb. viii. 5.)

Nor doth our Apostle but take the same mea-
sures, when he saith, if any man thinketh him-
self a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowl-
edge that the things chat I write unto you, are
the commandments of the Lord, 1 Cor. xiv. 37.

When Solomon also was to build this temple
for the worship of God, though he was wiser
than all men, yet God trusted neither to his
wisdom nor memory, nor to any immediate dic-
tates from heaven to him, how he would have
him build it. No, he was to receive the whole
platform thereof in writing, by the inspiration of
God. Nor would God give this platform of the
temple, and o^ its utensils, immediately to the
wise man, lest perhaps by others, his wisdom
should be idolized, or that some should object
that the whole fashion thereof proceeded of his
fancy, only he made pretensions of divine reve-
lation as a cover for his doings.

Thf^rofore. I sav, not to him, but to his father

Vlll 10 THE CHRISTIAN READER.

David, was the whole pattern of it given from
licaven ; and so by David to Solomon, his son,
in writing. Then David, says the text, gave to
Solomon his son, the pattern of the porch, and
the houses thereof, and of the treasuries there-
of, and of the upper-chambers thereof, and of
the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the
mercy seat, 1 Chron. xxviii. 11. And the pat-
tern of all that he had by the Spirit, of the
courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the
chamb€rs round about, and of the treasuries of
the house of God, and of the treasuries of the
dedicated things, (ver. 12.) Also for the cour-
ses of the priests and Levites, and for all the
work of the service of the house of the Lord,
and for all the vessels of service in the house ol
the Lord, (ver. 13.)

Yea, moreover, he had from heaven, or by
divine revelation, what the candlesticks were to
be made of, and also how much was to go to
each ; the same order and commanflment he
also gave for the making of the tables, flesh-
hooks, cups, basons, altar of incense ; with the
pattern for the chariot of tW cherubims, kc.
(ver. 14—19.) All this, saicTDavid, the Lord
made me understand by writing by his hand upon
me, even all the work of this pattern, (ver. 20.)
So I say, he gave David the pattern of the tem-
ple ; so David gave Solomon the pattern of the
temple, and according to that pattern did Solo-
mon build the temple, and no otherwise.

TO THE CHRISTIAN READER. IX

True, all these were but figures, patterns, and
shadows of things in heaven, and not the very
image of the things, (Heb. viii. 5, ch. ix. 8, 9,
23, ch. X. i.) But, as it was said afore, if God
was so circumspect and exact in these, as not to
leave any thing to the dictates of the godly and
wisest of men, what, can we suppose he will now
admit of the wit and contrivance of men in those
things that are, in comparison to them, the hea-
venly things themselves ?

It is also to be concluded, that since those
shadows of things in the heavens, are already
committed by God to sacred story, and since
that sacred story is said to be able to make the
man of God so perfect in all things, (2 Tim. iii.
15 — 17,) it is a duty in us to leave off to lean
to common understanding, and to inquire and
search out by that very holy writ, and nought
else, by what and how we should worship God.
David was for inquiring in his temple, (Psalm
xxvii. 4.)

And although the old church way of worship
is laid aside to us in New Testament times, yet
since those very ordinances were figures of
things, and methods of worship now, we may,
yea, we ought to search out the spiritual mean-
ing of them, because they serve to confirm and
illustrate matters to our understandings. Yea,
they shew us the more exactly how the New
and Old Testament, as to the spiritualness of the

X TO THE CHRISTIAN Rt .VI hii.

worship, was as one and the same ; only the Old
was clouded with shadows, but ours is with more
open face.

Features to the life, as we say, set out by a
picture, do excellently shew the skill of the ar-
tist. The Old and New Testament had the
shadow, nor have we but the very image ; both
then are but emblems of what is yet behind.
We may find our gospel clouded in their cere-
monies, and our spiritual worship set out some-
what by their carnal ordinances.

Now because, as •! said, there lies, as wrapt
up in a mantle, much of the glory of our gospel
matters in this temple which Solomon builded,
therefore I have made, as well as I could, by
comparing spiritual things with temporal, this
book upon this subject.

I dare not presume to say, that I know I have
hit right in every thing, but this I can sa}', I have
endeavoured so to do. True, I have not for
these things, fished in other men's waters, my
bible and concordance are my only library in my
writings. Wherefore, courteous reader, if thou
fmdest any thing, either in word or matter, that
thou shalt judge doth vary from God's truth, let
it be counted no man's else but mine. Pray
God also to pardon my fault ; do thou also lov-
ingly pass it by, and receive what thou findest
will do thee good.

TO THE CHRISTIAN IlEADLK. XI

And for thy easier finding of any particular, I
have in the close of the book set before thee the
chief heads, one by one ; and. also in what page
of the book thou mayest fiiKl them.

Thy servant in the .Gospel,

JOHN BUNYAN.

m

•■/

^-

^ aPIRITUALIZ

CHAPTER I.

Where the Temple was hma.

iple was built at Jerusalem ^a Mount
^romETin ^^^6 threshing ^or of Ornarf, the Ju-
busite, whereabout Abraham offered up Isaac ;
where David mot the angel of the Lord, when
he came with his ilfawa sword in hjis hand to cut
off the people at Jerusalem, for the sin which
David committed in his disorderly, numbering the
people, Genixxii. 3, '4, 6 ; ^ 1 C'hr. xxi. 15 ;
chap. xxii. ^B 2 Chr. iii. 1.
There Jwiham received
dead. ThBe the Lord wa?
vid to take^fway the plague
Israel agaia in mercy ; from ^W^nce also David
gathered, that there God's temple must be built.
This, said he, is the house of the Lord God,
and this is the altar of the burnt-offeriDg for Is-
rael, 1 Chroa. xxi. 28, chap. xxii. 1, chap. iii. 1.

his Isaac from the
intreated by Da-
aad to return to

I'l SOLOMON S TEMPLE

This mount Moriah, therefore, was a type of
the Son of God, the mountain of the Lord's
house, the rock against which tlie gates of hell
cannot prevail.

:APTER II.

built the Temple.

jiMple was huilt by Solomon, a man

peaceable pad quiet ; and that in nam6§|by na-

ture, and in government ; for so Qod had T)efore
(old David, namely, that such an one the builder
•f the temple should be.

Behold, saith he, a son shall be born unt*
thee, who shall be ^J^MP fi|^t ; and I will
ji;ive him rest from afW^ erflj^S vomv^ "^-^'"'
for his name shall be called Sqlonio;". ;
eive peice and quietness to^rael m his a.iys :
lie shall build an house for my name, and he
>hail be my son,^d I will be his fa'ther, 1 Chron.
\xu. 9, 10 ; Psalm Ixii. 1 to 1. v

As therefore rriount Moriah was ;i type ol
Christ, as the foundation ; ^o Solomon was a
type of him, as the builder of his chulch. The
joount was signal, f^r-^that, thereoqjihe Lord
God, before AbrWpam and David, did display hi<
mercy. And as Solomon built this temple, so
Christ doth build his house. Yea, he -• '
build the everlasting temple, and he shall l\ a
the glory, Heb. iii. 3, 4 ; Zech. vi. 12, 13.

sriRITUALIZED.

And in that Solomon was called peaceable,
jt was to shew, with what peaceble doctrine and
ways Christ's house and church should be built,
Jsa. ix. 6 ; Micah vii. 2, 3,4.

CHAPTER III.

How the Temple u^as built.

The temple was built, not merely by the dic-
tates of Solomon, though he was wiser than
Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda, and all men,
I Kings iv. 31, but it was built by rules, pre-
scribed by, or in a written word ; and, as so de-
livered to him by his father David.

For when David gava to Solomon, his son, a
chapge to build the temple of God, with that
charge he gave him also the pattern of all in
writing ; even a pattern of thv^ porch, house,
chambers, treasuries, parlors, &c. and of the
place for the mercy-seat ; which pattern David
had of God : nor would God trust his memory
with it. The Lord made me, said he, under-
stand in writing, by his hand upon me, even all
the work of this pattern. Thus therefore,
David gave to Solomon his son, the pattern of all ;
and thus Solomon built the house of God. See
1 Chron. xxviii. 9 to 20.

And answerable to this, Christ Jesus, the
builder of his own house, whose house are we,
(ir-.th build his holv habitation for him to dwell in :

IG Solomon's texMpli:

even according to the commandment of God the
Father. For, saith he, I have not spoken of
myself, but the Father which sent me, he gave
me a commandment what I should speak. And
hence it is said, God gave him the revelation.
And again, that he took the book out of the hand
of him that sat on the throne ; and so acted as to
the building up of his church, John xii. 49 ;
Rev. i. 1. chap. v. 7.

CHAPTER IV. ^

Of what the Temple ni'as built.

The materials with which the temple was
built, were such as were in their own nature
common to that which was left behind ; thinrr'^
that naturally were not fit to be laid without i r
to be laid on so holy a house. And this shew-,
that those of whom Christ Jesus designs to build
his church, are by nature no better than others.
But as the trees and stones of which the temple
was built, Avere first hewed and squared' before
they were fit to be laid in that house ; so sinners,
of which the church is to be built, must first be
fitted by the word and doctrine, and then fitly
laid in their place in the church.

For though, as to the nature, there is no dif-
ference betwixt those made use of to build God's,
house with, yet by grace they differ from oth-
ers ; even as those trees and stones that ar*»

SPIRITUALIZEO. J7

hewed and squared for building, by art, are made
to differ from those which abide in the wood or
pit.

The Lord Jesus, therefore, while he seeketh
materials wherewith to build his house, he find-
eth them the clay of the same lump that he re-
jecteth and leaves behind, St. John v. 40. (Are
we better than they ? No, in noway, Rom. iii.
chap. ix. N^y, I think, if any be best, it is they
which are left behind.) He came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance, Mark ii.
17. And indeed, in this he doth shew both the
greatness of his grace and workmanship ; his
grace, in taking such, and his Avorkmanship,
in that he makes them meet for his holy habita-
tion.

This the current of scripture maketh mani-
fest. Wherefore it is needless now to cite par-
ticulars ; onl}'- we must remember, that none are
laid in this building as they come out of the
wood or pit ; but as they first pass under the
hand and rule of this great builder of the temple
of God.

CHAPTER V.

n^o was to fell those Trees, and to dig those
Stones with which Solomon built the Temple.

As the trees were to be felled, and stones to
be digged, so there was for that matter select
workmen appointed. i' '

18 SOLOMON S TLlMPLi:

These were not of the sons of Jacob, nor ol'
the house of Israel ; they were the servants of
Hiram, king of Tyre, and the Gibeonites, name-
ly, their children, that made a league with Josh-
ua, in the day that God gave the land of Canaan
to his people, Joshua ix. 22 to 28 ; 1 Kings v. ;
2 Chron. xxvii. 28.

And these were types of our gospel-ministers,
who are the men appointed by Jesus Christ to
make sinners, by their preaching, meet for the
house of God. Wherefore, as he was famous
of old, who was strong to lift up his axe upon
the thick boughs, to square wood /or the building
of the temple ; so a minister of the gospel now is
also famous, if much used by Christ for the con-
verting of sinners to himself, that he may build
him a temple with them, Psal. vii. 4,5,6; Rom.
xvi. 7.

But why, may some say, do you make so home-
ly a comparison ?

I answer, because I believe it is true ; for it
is grace, not gifts, that makes us sons and the be-
loved of God. Gifts make a minister ; and as a
minister, one is but a servant to hew wood and
draw water for the house of my God. Yea,
Paul, though a son, yet counted himself not a son,
but a servant, purely as he was a minister, a ser-
vant of God, a servant of Christ, and a servant
of the church, and your servant for Jesus' sake.
Tit. i. 1 ; Rom. i. f ; 2 Cor. iv. 5.

A man then is a son, as he is begotten ;ind
born of God to himself, and a servant, as he i'

SPiniTUALIZED. 19

.c,iftcd for work in the house of his father ; and
though it is truth, the servant may be a son, yet
he is not a son, because he is a servant. Nor
doth it follow, that because all sons may be ser-
vants, therefore all servants are sons : no, all the
servants of God are not sons ; and therefore,
when time shall come, he that is only a servant
here shall certainly be put out of the house,
even out of that house himself did help to build.
The servant abideth not in the house for ever :
the servant that is he that is only so, Ezek. xlvi.
16, 17 ; Johnviii. 35.

So then, as a son, thou art an Israelite, as a
servant, a Gibeonite. The consideration of this
made Paul start ; he knew that gifts made him
not a son, 1 Cor. xii. 28, to 31. chap. xiii. 1, 2.

The sum then is, a man may be a servant and
a son ; a servant, as he is employed by Christ in
his house for the good of others ; and a son, as
he is a partaker of the grace of adoption ; but
all servants are not sons. And let this be ;i caution
and a ciill to ministers to do all acts of service
for God, and in his house, with reverence and
godly fear. And with all humihty, let us desire
to be partakers ourselves of that grace we preach
to others, 1 Cor. ix. 35.

This is a great saying, and written perhaps to
keep ministers humble : And strangers shall
stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the
alien shall be your ploughman and your vine-
dressers, Isa. Ixi. 5.

To be a ploughman here is to be a preacher ;

jO SOLOMON S TLMPI.L

;ind to be^a vine-dresser here is to be a preacli-
vr, Luke ix. 59, to 62. 1 Cor. ix. 27. Matt. ii. 1.
2, 3, 4, 8. chap. xxi. 28. 1 Cor. ix. 7.

And if he does his work wilhngly, he has a
reward ; if not, a disposition of the gospel is com-
mitted to him, and that's all, 1 Cor. ix. 17.

CHAPTER. VI.

In what condition the Timber and Stones "wert.
when brought to be laid in the Building of the
Temple.

The timber and stones with wliich the temple
was built, were squared and hewed in the wood
or pit ; and so there made every way tit for the
work, even before they were brought to the
place where the house should be set up : So
that there was neither hammer nor axe, nor any
tool of iron heard in the house while it was
building, 1 Kings vi. 7.

And this shews, <is was said before, that the
materials of which the house was built, were
(before the hand of the workman touched them,)
as unfit to be laid in the building, as were those
that Avere left behind ; consequently that them-
selves, none otherwise, but by the art of others;
were made fit to be laid in this building.

To this our New-Testament temple answers ;
For those of the sons of Adam who are counted
worthy to be laid in this building, are net by

SPIRITUALIZED. ^1

nature, but by grace, made meet for it y not by
their own wisdom, but by the \Vord of God.
Hence he saith, I have hewed them by the
prophets. And again, ministers are called God's
builders and labourers even as to this work, Hos.
vi. 5 ; 1 Cor. iii. 10 ; 2 Cor. vi. 1 ; Col. i. 28.

No man will lay trees as they come from the
wood, for beams and rafters in his house ; nor
stones, as digged in the walls. No, the trees
must be hewed and squared, and the stones sawn
and made fit, and so be laid in the house.

Yea, they must be so sawn, and so squared,
that in coupling they may be joined exactly ; else
the building will not be good, nor the workman
have credit of his doings.

Hence our gospel-church, of which the tem-
ple was a type, is said to be fitly formed ; and
that there is a fit supply of every joint for the
securing of the whole, 1 Pet. iii. 6 ; Eph. iv.
20, 21. chap. iv. 16 ; Col. ii. 19.

As they therefore build like children tlmt
build from the wood, as it comes from the wood
or forests, and with stones, as they come from
the pit ; even so do they who pretend to build
God an house of unconverted sinners, unhewcd,
unsquared, unpolished. Wherefore, God's work-
men, according to God's advice, prepare their
work without, and make it fit for themselves in
the field, and afterwards build the house, Pro v.
xxiv. 27.

Let ministers therefore look to this, and take
heed, lest instead of making their notions stoop

SOLOMON S TEMPLI

to the word, they make the scriptures etoop i >
their notions.

CHAPTER VII.

Of the Foundation of the Temple.

The foundation of the temple is that upon
which it stood ; and it Wiis two-fold : First,
The hill Moriah, and then those great stones
upon which it was erected. This hill Moriah,
as was said before, did more properly typify
Christ. Hence Moriah is called the mountain
of the house, it being the rock upon which it
w.is built. These great stones, called founda-
tion-stones, were types of the prophets and
apostlos. Matt. xvi. 18 ; Ephes. ii. 20, 21 ; Heb.
xi. 10.

Wherefore these stones were stones of the
biggest size, stones of eightcubits, and ston?sof
ten cubits, 1 Kings vii. 10.

Now, as the temple had this double founda-
tion, so we must consider it respectively and dis-
tinctly ; for Christ is the foundation one way,
the prophets and apostles, a foundation another.
Christ is the foundation personally and merito-
riously,' but the prophets and apostles by doc-
trine, ministerially. The church then, which i>
God's New-Testament temple, as it is said to be
built on Christ the foundation ; so none other i>
the foundation but he. 1 Cor. iii. 11.12. But y-

SI'IRIT'u'ALIZED. 2J

It iis said to be built upon the apostles, so it is
said to have twelve foundations, and must have
none but they, Rev. xxi. 14.

What is it then ? Why, we must be built upon
Christ, as he is our priest, sacrifice, prophet,
king and advocate ; and upon the other, as they
are infallible instructors and preachers of him ;
not that any may be an apostle, that so shall es-
teem of himself, nor that any other doctrine be
administered, but what is the doctrine of the
twelve ; for th?.y arr; set forth as the chief and
last. These are also they, as Moses, which are
toA)ok over all the building, and to see that all
irrihis house be done according to the pattern
slitewed to them in the mount, Exod. xxxix. 43 ;
John XX. 21, 22, 23 ; 1 Cor. iii. 9, chap. iv. 9.

Let li^then keep these distinctions clear, and
not put^ apostle in the room of Christ, nor
Christ in the place of one of those apostles.
Let none but Christ be the high-priest and sacri-
fice for your souls to God; and none but that
doctrine which is apostolical, be to you as the
mouth of Christ, for instruction to prepare you,
and to prepare materials for this temple of God.
and to build upon them this foundation.

CHAPTER VIII.

Oj the Richness of the Stones rvhich were laid for
the FovAidation of the Temple.

These foundation stones, as they were great

ii'l SOLOMON S TEMPLE.

Fo they were costly stones ; though as I said, oi
themselves, of no more Avorththan any of their
nature that were left behind. Their costhness
therefore lay in those additions which they re-
ceived from the king's charge.

First, In that labor which was bestowed upon
them in sawing, squaring and carving : for the
servants, as they were cunning at this work, so
they bestowed much of their art and labor upon
them, by which they put them into excellent
form, and added to their bigness, glory and beau-
ty, fit for stones upon which so goodly a fa-
bric was to be built. f

Secondl}^ These stones, as they were tlTO^
wrought within' and without, so, as it seems io
me, they were inlaid with other stones more pre-
cious than themselves : inlaid, I say, with stone
of divers colours. According as it is written ,
I will lay the foundation with sapphires, Isa. liv.
11.. ^ Not that the foundations were sapphires,
but they were laid, inlaid with them ; or as hv
saith in another place, they were ado|nedwith
goodly stones and gifts, Luke xxi. 5. .,' •

This is still more amplified, where it is wrft-
ten of the New Jerusalem (which is still the
testament-church on earth, and so the same in
substance with what is noAv ;) The foundations
of the wall of the city, said he, were j>;arnishcd
with all manner of precious stones. Rev. xxi.
19. True, these there are called the » Dnda-
lions of the wall of the city, but it hai^^respect
to the matter in hand ; for that whilKis be-

bPIRITUALlZED. 25

lore called a temple, for its comparative small-
ness, is here called a city, for, or because of
its great increase ; and both the foundations
of the wall of the city, as well as of the tem-
ple, are the twelve apostles of the Lamb, Rev.
xxi. 14.

For these carvings and inlayings, with all
other beautifications, were types of the extra-.
Ordinary gifts and graces of the apostles. Henccx
the apostle calls such gifts signs of apostleship,
Rom. XV. 19 ; 2 Cor.xii. 21 ; Heb. ii.4. For as
the fouiidation stones of the temple were thifs
gariished, so were the apostles beautified wi<h
a dail, gifts and graces peculiar to themselves.
Hence he' says, first, apostles ; for that they
were i^tst and chief in the church of Christ, 1
Cori xiil28.

ISfill" vire these stones only laid for a founda-

i tion ;bfoi^e temple, the great court, the inner

'•court, as also the porch of the temple, had round

about them, three rows of those stones for their

foundation, 1 Kings vii.l.

ifignifying, as seems to me, that the more out-
ward and" external part, as well as that more in-
ternal worship to be performed to God, should
be grounded upon apostolical doctrine and ap-
pointments,.^ Cor. iii. 10, 11, 12 ; 2 Thess. ii.
15^ chap. iii. 6 ; Heb. vi. 1, 2, 3, 4.

SOLOMON S TEMi

CHAPTER IX.

Which Way the Face or Front of the Temple
stood.

1 . The temple was built with its face or front
towards the east, and that perhaps, because the
Glory of the God of Israel was to come from
the way of the east into it, Ezek. xlvii. 1, 2, 3,
4, chap. iv. 1 . Wherefore, in that its front stood

ov/ards the east, it maybe to shew, that the tnK
i^ospel church \vould have its eye to, and expec
ation from the Lord. We look, said Paul, but
Avhither ? We have our conversation, sai(! he,
ill heaven, from whence our expectation is. 2
Cor. iv. 18 ; Phil. iii. 20, 21 ; Psal. Ixii. 5.

2. It was also set with its face toTipirds the
east, to keep the people of God froi
ting idolatry, to wit, from worshipi^
of heaven, and the sun, whose rising is
east. For, since the face of the ter
towards the east, and since the wc
were to worship at, or with their face
the temple, it follows, that both in theii* going t(
and worshiping God towards that place, the;
luces must be from, and their backs towards th(
Hun. The thus building of the temple therefore
was a snare to idolaters, and a proof of the zer '
of those that were the true Avorhippers ; as al-
to this day, the true gospel instrcuted worship o
Je.sus Christ is : hence he is said to idolaters. •

Sl'IRITUALIZED. 27

he a snare and a trap, but to the godly a glory,
Isa. viii. 14, chap. ix. 19.

3. Do but see how God catched the idola-
trous Jews by this means in their naughtiness.
And he brought me, said the prophet, into the
inner court of the Lord's house ; and behold,
at the door of the temple of the Lord, even be-
tween the porch and t^e altar, were about five
and twenty men, with their backs towards the
temple of the Lord, and their faces towards
the east, Ezek. viii. 16. It was therefore, as 1
said, set with its face towards the east, to pre-
vent false worshippers, and detect idolaters.

4. From the east also came the most blasting:
winds, winds that are destructive to man and
beast, to fruit and trees, and ships at sea, Exod.
X. 13 ; Job xxvii. 21 ; Ezek. xvii. 10, chap. xix.
12 ; PsaL xlviii. 7 ; Ezek. x. 12.

I say, the east v/ind, or that which comes
from thence, is the most hurtful ; yet you sec
the temple hath set her face against it, to shew,
that the true church cannot be blasted or made
to turn back by any affliction. It is not east
winds, nor none of their blastings, that can
make the temple turn about. Hence he saith,
That Jacob's face shall not wax pale. And
again, I have made thy face strong against their
faces, and that the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it, Isa. xxix. 22 ; Ezek. iii. 8 ; Matt,
xvi. 18.

5. It might be also built with its face towards
the east, to shew, That the true church looketh.

2ii 6OLOM0N S TLMPLK

as before I hinted, for her Lord and king from
heaven, knowing that at his coming he will bring
healing in his wings : For from the east he will
appear when he comes the second time, with-
out sin unto salvation, of which the sun gives
a memento in his rising there every morning.
For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and
shineth unto the west ; so shall also the com-
ing of the son of man be, Mai. iv. 2 ; Heb. ix.
28 ; Col. iii. 3 ; 2 Pet. xi. 12, 13, 14 ; Matt.
xxiv. 27.

6. Christ, as the north pole, draws those
touched with the loadstone of his word, with
the face of their souls towards him, to look for,
and hasten to his coming. And this also is sig-
nified by the temple standing with its face to-
wards the east.

CHAPTER X.
Of the Courts of the Temple.

I perceive that there were two courts belong-
ing to the temple. The first was called the out-
ward court, Ezek. xl. 17, chap. xlvi. 21.

1. This was that into which the people of
necessity first entered, when they went to wor-
ship in the temple ; consequently that was it, in
and by which the people did first shew their de-
sires to be worshippers of God. And this an-
swers to those badges and signs of love to

SPIRITI il.iZI

religion, that people have in face or outward ap-
pearance, Matt. XXV. 27 ; 2 Cor. x. 7.

2. In this, though here may sometimes be
truth, yet oftener lies and dissimulation ; where-
fore commonly an outward appearance is set in
opposition to faith and truth, as the outward is
in opposition to the inner court, and the out-
ward to the inward man, and that is when it is
by itself, for then it profits nothing, Rom. ii. 28 ;
l"Cor. xiii. 1,2, 3 ; 2 Cor. v. 12.

3. Hence, though the outward court was
something to the Jews, because by outward bod-
ies they were distinguished from the Gentiles ;
yet to us it is little, for now he is not a Jew"
who is one only outwardly ; therefore all the
time of the beast's reign, this court is given to
be trodden under foot ; for, as I said, outward
show will avail nothing when the beast comes
to turn and toss up professors with his horns,
Rev. xi. 12.

4. But as there was an outward, so there was
an inner court ; a court that stood nearer to the
temple, and so to the true practical part of wor-
ship, than that inAvard court did, Ezek. x. 13,
chap, xlvii ; 1 Kings vi. 36.

5. This inner court is that which is called
the court of the priests, because it is that in
which they boiled the trespass offerings, and in
which they prepared the sin offering for the peo
pie, 2 Cor. iv. 9 ; Ezek. xlvi. 2(T.

6. This court therefore was t]^. place of prac-
rir<^ .-.^^r. A^ pi-oparation to appjp' before God,,

.>0 SOLOMON S TEMI'Li:

which is the first true token of a sincere and hon-
est mind. Wherefore here, and not in the out-
ward court, stood the great brazen altar, which
was a type of Christ, by wliom alone the true
worshippers made their approach with accep-
tance unto God. Also here stood the brazen
scaffold, on which the king kneeled when he
prayed for the people, a type of Christ's pray-
ers for his when he was in the world, 1 Kings ii ;
2 Chron. vi. 13 ; John xiii. 17.

7. Wherefore this court wjis a type of prac-
tical worship, and so of our praying, hearing,
and eating before God. There belonged to this
court several gates, an east, a south, and a north
gate ; and when the people of the land went in-
to this court to worship, they were not to go out
at the gate by which they came in, but out of the
gate over against it, to shew that true chris-
tians should persevere right on, and not turn
back whatever they met with in the way. He
that entered in by the way of the north gate to
worship, shall go out by the way of the south
gate ; and he that entereth in by the way of the
south gate, he shall not return by the way of the
gate whereby he came in, but shall go over
against it, Ezek. xlvi. 9.

8. These courts was places of great delight
to the Jews, as both feigned and sincoi'e profes-
sion is to those that practice therein. Where-
fore when the Jews did enter into these, they
did use to do it with praise and pipe, as do both
hypocrites and sincere ones. So then when a

SPIRITUAL :3I

(lum shall tread in both these courts, and shall
turn what he seems to be, into what he should
be in reality ; then, and not till then, he treads
them as he should ; for then he makes the out-
ward court, and his treading there, but a passage
to that which is more inward and sincere. But
he that stays in the outward one is but such an
one as pleases not God, for that he wants the
practice of what he professes with his mouth.

CHAPTER XI.

Of the great Brazen Altar that stood in the Inner
Court of the Temple.

In the inner court, stood the great brazen altar
which Solomon made ; this is evident, for that
when he kneeled up the scaffold, there to pray,
he kneeled before this altar : See Expd. xl. 6,
29 ; 2 Chron. vi. 13 ; 2 Kings xvi. 14*; Jqel ii.

2. This altar seems to be placed about the
middle of this court, over against the porch of
this house ; and between it and the temple was
the place where Zachariah was slain. This altar
was called the altar of burnt offering ; and there-
fore it was a type of Christ in his divinity ; for
Christ's body was our true burnt olfering, of
which the bodies of the sac rifled beasts was a
type.. Now that altar upon which his body was
offered, was his divinity or godhead ; for that,
and that only, could bear up that offering in the

whole of its sufferings ; and that therefore, and
that only was to receive the fat, the glory.
Hence it is said, he, through the Eternal Spirit,
offered himself without spot to God, Heb. ix. 14.

3. Foi' Christ is priest, and sacrifice, and altar,
and all. And as a priest he offered, and as a
sacrifice he suffered, and as God he supported
his humanity, in that suffering of all the pains it
underwent. Gal. i. 4, ch. ii. 20 ; 1 Pet. iii. 18 ;
Heb. ix. 14.

4. It was then Christ's godhead, not the tree,
that was the altar of burnt ofl'ering ; or that by
which Christ offered himself an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

6. That it was not the tree is evident, for that
could not sanctify the gift, to wit, his body ; but
Christ affirmeth, that the altar sanctifieth the
gift : and by so saying, he affirmeth, that the altar
on which he offered his offering, was greater
than the offering itself, Matt, xxiii. 19.

Now the body of Christ was the gift, for so
he saith, I give my flesh for the life of the world,
John vi.

But now what thing is that which is greater
than his body, save the altar his Divinity, on
which it was offered ? The tree then was not
the altar which sanctified this gift, to moke it of
Tirtue enough to make reconciliation for iniquity,
John vi. 15, ch. xvii. 19 ; Heb. xi. 14 ; Col. i.
19—21.

Now^, since this altar of burnt offerings wa«

SriRITUAHZED. ;J.>

thus placed in the inner court, it teacheth us
several things.

First, That those that come only into the out-
ward court, or that rest in a bare appearance of
Christianity, do not by so doing come to Jesus
Christ, for this altar stands not there. Hence
John takes notice only of the temple and this
altar, and them that worship therein, and leaves
out the outward court, and so them that come
no farther. Rev. xi. 1,2;

Secondly, This teaches us also, that we are
to enter into that temple of God by blood. The
altar, this altar of burnt offering, stood as men
went into the temple ; they must go by it, yea,
there they must leave their offering, and so go
in and worship, even as a token that they came
thither by sacrifice and by blood.

Thirdly, Upon this altar, Solomon, at the ded-
ication of the temple, offered thousands, both of
oxen and of sheep, to signify surely the abun-
dant worth and richness that would be in the
blood of Christ to save, when it should be shed
for us ; for his blood is spoken of with an how
much more. For if the blood of bulls and goats
and the ashes of an heifer sprinlding the un-
clean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the liesh,
how much more, shall the blood of Christ, who
through the Eternal Spirit offered himself with-
out spot to God, purge your consciences from
dead works, to serve the living God, Heb. xi.
14 ; Chron. vii. 6—8 ; Heb. x. 11, 12.

Let us then not dare to stop or stay in the out-

34

ward court, for there is not this altar ; nor Ic!
us dare when we come into this court, to be
careless whether we look at this altar or no ;
for it is by blood we must enter. For without
shedding of blood there is no remission. Let
us always then, when we come hither, wash
our hands in innocency, and so compass this altar.
For that by Christ, who is the altar indeed, we
are reconciled to God. This is looking to Jesus,
this is coming to God by him, of whom this altar
and the sacrifice thereon was a type.

CHAPTER XII.

Of the Pillars that u^ere before the Porch of the
Temple.

There were divers pillars belonging to the
temple. But in this place we are confined to
speak of only two ; namely, those wliich stood
before the temple.

These pillars stood before the porch or en-
trance into the temple, looking towards the altar,
the court, and them that were the worshippers
there ; also they were a grace and a beauty to
the front of the house.

1. These pillars stood, one on the righthand,
imd the other on the left, at the door of the
porch of the temple ; and they had names given
them (you may be sure,) to signify something.
The name ©f that on the righthand wa? Jachin,

Si-miTUALiZLa. So

(God shall establish ;) and the name of that on
the lefthand was Boaz, (in it is strength), 1 Kings
vii. 21 ; 2 Chron. iii. 17.

2. These two pillars were types of Christ's
apostles, of the apostles of circumcision, and of
the uncircumcision. Therefore the Apostle
Paul also called them pillars, Gal. ii, and saith,
that the pillar on the righthand was a type of
himself and his companions, who were to go to
the uncircumcised, and teach the Gentiles the
way of life. When James, Cephas, and John,
who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace
that was given unto me, they gave me and Bar-
nabas the righthand of fellowship, that we should
go unto the heathen, and they unto the circum-
cision. Gal. ii. 9. So then, these two pillars
were types of these two orders of the Apostles
in this their divers service for God.

3. And that Paul and Barnabas was signified
by those on the righthand, to wit, to be the
Apostles of the Gentile^^jOie sheweth again,
where he saith, I am the ^piister of Christ to
the Gentiles, ministering the |race ojf God, that
the offering up of the Gentiles might be accep-
table, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, Rom.
xi. 13, chap. xv. 16. f

4. And smce the name of this pillar was Ja-
cliin, (God shall establish,) as it sheweth that
opposition shall attend it ; so also, that God
would bless his word preached by them to the
Ocndles, to the conversion cf numbers of them,
nuiuger all the opposition of the enemy

5. This is further implied, for that they were
made of brass ; as he saith of the Propliet, I
have made thee a fenced brazen wall, an iron
pillar ; and their fighting against thee shall noth-
ing at all prevail. Wherefore Paul says of him-
self, I am set for the defence of the Gospel, that
tlie truth thereof might continue with you, Phil,
i. 17 ; Gal. ii. 5.

CHAPTER XIII.

Of the Height of these Pillars that thus stood he-
fore the Porch of the Door of the Temple.

The pillars were eighteen cubits high a-piece.
and that is as high, yea, as high again as the
highest giant that ever we read of in the world :
for the highest of which we read, was but six
cubits and a span.

True, the bedstead of Og was nine cubits
long, but I trow, th^pgiant himself was shorter,
Deut. iii. 11 ; 2 Chron. iii. 16. But put the
longest to the longest, and set the one upon the
shoulders of the other, and yea, each pillar was
higher thlh they.

We have now, as I know of, but few that re-
main of ^ip remnant of the giants, and though
they boast as if they were higher than Agag,
yet these pillais are higher than they.

These pillars are the highest ; you may equal
them, and an inch above is worth an ell bejow.

SPIRITUALIZLD. 37

The height therefore of these pillars is to shew
us what high dignity God did put upon those of
his saints whom he did call to be apostles of the
Lamb ; for their office and call thereto is the
highest in the church of God. These men, I
say, were made thus high by their being cast in
such a mould. Of that-which added yet further
to their height, Ave will speak anon. We only
speak now of the high call, by which they, and
only they, were made capable of apostolical au-
thority.

The apostles were sent immediately ; their
call was extraordinary, their office was univer-
sal, they had alike power in all churches, and
their doctrine was infallible ; Acts xxvi. 16 ;
1 Cor. ix. 1 ; Gal. i. 1 ; John i. 1, 2, 3 ; John ii.
23.

And what can our pretended giants do or say
in comparison of these ? The truth is, all oth-
er men to these, are dwarfs, are low, dark,
weak, and beneath, not only as to call and office,
but a!so as to gifts and graces. This sentence,
Paul "an apostle of Jesus Christ," drowneth
all. What now are all other titles of grandeur
and greatness, when compared with this one sen-
tence ?

True, the men were but mean in themselves ;
for what is Paul or Apollos, or what was James
or John ? Yet by their call to that office, they
.were ' made highest of all in the church.
Christ did raise them eighteen cubits high, not
in conceit, for so there are many higher than
4

38 SOLOMON S TEMPLE

they, but in office, and calling, and divine au-
thority.

And observe it, these stand at the door, at
the entering into the temple of God, at which
they enter thctt go in thither to worship God,
to shew that all right worship, and that which
will be acceptable to God, is by, or according to
their doctrine.

CHAPTER XIV.

Of the Chapiters of the Pillars of the Temple.

There were also two chapiters made for the
pillars of the temple, for each one ; and they
were five cubits high a-piece. These^were for
the adorning of the pillars ; and therefore were
types and shadows of that abundance of grace
which God did put upon the apostles after the
resurrection of our Lord. Wherefore, as he
saith here, the chapiters were upon the pillars ;
so it saith, that great grace was upon all the
apostles, Acts iv. 33.

These chapiters had belonging to them, a
bowl made pommel-fashioned, and it was placed
upon the head of them, perhaps to signify
theii aptness to receive, and largeness to con-
tain the dew of heaven, that shadow of the
doctrine of the gospel, which doctrine, as the
chief, were to receive, and hold forth to the
world for ik^'iT 99i;iv#r«iop. H«nct, as tke

SPIRITUALIZED. 39

bowls were capable to receive the dew of
heaven, these are said to receive grace and
apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all
nations for his name, Rom. i. 6 ; 1 Kings vii.
16, 42 ; 2 Chron. iv. 12 ; Deut. xxxii. 1 ;
Rom. XV. 29.

There was also upon these chapiters a net-
work, or nets, like unto chequer-work, which
still added to their lustre. These nets were
they which showed for what intent the apostol-
ical office was ordained ; namely, that by their
preaching they might bring many souls to God.
And hence Christ calls them fishermen, saying,
ye shall catch men, Matt, iv, 19, chap. i. 17 ;
Lukev. 10 ; 2 Cor. xii. 16.

The world is compared to a sea, men to fish-
es, and the gospel to a net, Ezek. xlvii. 10 to
14 ; Matt. xiii. 47, 48, 49, 60. As therefore
men catch fish with a net, so the apostles caught
men by their word ; which word, as I told you,
to me signified this net work upon the top of
these pillars. See therefore the mystery of
God in these things.

CHAPTER XV.

Of the Pomegranates adjoined to these A''ets on
£■ the Chapiters.

There was also joined to these nets upon the
top of these pillars, pomegranat«i in abundance,

40 Solomon's -iLJirLL

four hundred for the net work. Pomegraiidit-.
you know, are beautiful to look on, pleasant to
the palate, comfortable to the stomach, and
cheering by theii; juice, 1 Kitogs vii. 42 ; Song
iv. 3, ch. viii. 2, cE« iv. 13, (^;>^* 11, ch. vii.l2.
There was to be two rows ol^jfc pomegranates
for one net work,' and so twqMws of them for
the other. : ' J

And this was to she\V, that tffl net of the gos-
pel is not an emptf thinjr, but i'=!Hr.flTri||ntly bait-
ed with such \ 'AliN^he
world to be cad
sound of words, bu
is, baited with pomcL,..
cellent things. Hence ii
of the kingdom, and tho ^w. ,.v .
God ; because it is, as it were, biii
and glory, that sinners may be allutt «i.
be taken with it to their eternd salvafti
xxiv. 14 ; Acts xx. 24.

Grace and glory, grace and glory !. 'J
the pomegranates with which the wgrdjjl. lio
gospel is baited, that sinners may be^fitfSfci ; ml
saved thereby. The argument of old ^
;ind honey, that was, I say, the alluring
which Moses drew six hundred thousand
Egypt, into the wilderness of old, Exod.
But behold, we haye pomegranates ; two
of pomegranates ; grace and a kingdom is
bait of the holy gospel ; no wonder then, if
when men of skill did cast this net into the sea,
such numbers of tish have been caught, even

is thW

SPIRITUALIZED. 4 J

by one sermon, Acts ii. Th^y baited their nets,
which taking things, things taking to the eye and
tastes.

Nets are only instruments of death, but the
nets of the gosp^||!bth catch to draw from death,
wherefore this wPs contrary ; Hfe and immor-
tahty is broughtWpight through this. No mar-
Tel then if menjie so glad, and that for glad-
ness they leap »e fishes in a net, when they
see themselves Mtched in this drag of the holy
gospel of the S^n of God. They are catched
from death and hell, catched to live with God in
glory.

CHAPTER XVI.

Of the CJiains that were upon those Pillars that
stood before the Temple.

As there were nets to catch, and pomegran-

^ ates to bait, so there were chains belonging to

t these' chapiters on these pillars. And he made

chains, as an oracle, and put them upon the head

of the chapiters, 2 Chron. iii. 16.

But what were these chains a type of ? I an-
swer, they were (perhaps) a type of those bonds
which attend the gospel, by which souls were
taken and tied fast to the horns of the altar.
Gospel grace, and gospel obligations, are ties
and binding things ; they can hold those that are
entangled by the word. Love is strong ag
4*

42 SOLOMl... - .^..I'LL

death : bands of lovje, and the cords of a man,
and chains take hold on them that are taken b^
the gospel, Hos. xi ; Song viii. C.

But this strength to bind lieth not in outward
force, but in a sweet constraint, by virtue of the
displays of undeserved lovCk^^, The love of
Christ, constraineth us, 2 CohtV. Wherefore,
as you find the nets, so the drains had pome-
granates on them. And he niiade an hundred
pomegranates, and put them u^on tl^e chains,
2 Chron. iii. 16. The chains then 1^ baits
as well as the nets, to shew the ban(lR)f the
gospel are irresistable goodnesses ; ^uch, with
which men love to be bound, and .^uch as thoy
pray they may be held fast by. lie binds hi
foal to the vine, his saint unto liis Savioin- Ho
xlix. 11.

By these chains, there is therefor*
what strength there is in gospel cli
once the adder doth but hear them ; n
was yet able to resist them, that did
knoii' the meaning of them. They are tiii^ii
to make poor men obedient, and tliat in vvui
and deed.

These chains were such as was in the oracle,
to shew that gospel bonds are strong, as
joys of heaven, and as the glories there, ci
make them chains, as in the oracle as in
'most holy place. It is heaven that binds sinne
on earth, to the faith and hope of the gospel of
Christ.

I

::le,

thB
eraH

;riKITUALlZLD,

CHAPTER XVII.

Of the Lilly-xuork which was upon the Chapiters
that were upon these Pillars of the Temple.

These pillars were also adorned with lilly
work, as well as with pomegranates and chains.
Chapiters also which were upon the top of the
pillars were of lilly work ; so was the work
of the pillars finished. See 1 Kings vii. 19,20.

This lilly work is here put in oa purpose, even
to shew us how far off chose that were to be the
true apostles of the Lamb, should be from seek-
ing carnal things, or of making their preachiiig
a strilkiiig horse to worldly greatn«'ss, and that
preferment. There was lilly woik upon them ;
that is, they lived upon the bounty -ad care of
God, and wjs content with that glory \^]i|6h he
had put upon them. The lillies, saith Christ,
they toil noi, neither do they spin, and yet Sol-
omon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one
of thes<%Matt. vh.28, 29.

Thus, therefore these pillars shew, that as the
apostles should be fitted and quahfied for their
work, they should be free also from cares and
worldly cu.iiber ; they should be content with
God's providing for them, even as the goodly
liUies are. And as thus prepared, they were set
in the front of the house, for all ministers to see
and learn, and take example of them, how to

44

behave themselves as to this world in the per-
forming of their office.

And that which gives us further light in this,
is, that this lilly work is said by divine institution,
to be placed over against the belly, the belly of
the pillars, a type of ours, 1 Kings vii. 20.

The belly is a craving thing ; and these things,
saith the ''text, were placed over against the
belly, to teach, that they should not humour,
but check the havings and cravings of the belly ;
or to shew that they need not do it ; for he
that calls to his work, will himself provide for
the belly. It is said of the church, that her
belly is as a heap of wheat set about with lillies,
Song vii. 2. To shew, that she should without
covetousn^ss have sufficient, if she would cast
all her cares upon God, her great Provider ;
this the apostles did, and this is their glory tQ
this day.

So was the work of the pillars finished. To
live lilly hves, it seems is the glory of an apos-
tle, and their completing of their office and ser-
vice for God. But this is directly opposite to
the belly over against the belly, and this makes
it the harder Avork. But yet so living, is the way
to make all that's done sweet scented to those that
be under this care. Covetousness makes a min-
ister smell frowish, and look more like a greedy
dogs than an apostle of Jesus Christ. Judas had
none of this lilly work, so his name stinks to this
day. He that grows like the lilly, shall cast forth
his scent like Lebanon, his branches shall spread.

SPIRITUALIZED. 45

and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his
smell as Lebanon.

Thus lived Christ, first ; and thus the apos-
tles, next ; nor can any other, as to this, live like,
or be compared to them. They coveted no
man's silver or gold, or apparel. They lived
like lillies in the world, and did send forth their
scent as Lebanon.

Thus you see of whom these pillars were a
shadow, and what their height, their chapiters,
their bowls, their nets, their chains, their pome-
granates and their lilly work did signify, and
how all was most sweetly answered in the anti-
type. These were men of the first rate ; the
apostles, I mean, were such.

CHAPTER XVIIL

Of the Fashion of the Temple.

Of the length and breadth of the temple, I
shall say nothing ; but as to the height thereof,
there, methinks, I see something. The temple
was higher than the pillars ; and so is the church,
than her officers ; I say, consider them singly
as officers, (though inferior as to gifts and office,)
for as I said before of ministers in general, so
now I say the same of the apostles ; though as
to office they were the highest, yet the temple is
above them. Gifts and office make no men sons
of God ; as so, they are but servants ; though

4G Solomon's temple

they were servants of the highest form. It is
the church, as such, that is thel ady, a queen, the
bride, the Lamb's wife ; and prophets, apostles
and ministers, &c. are but servants, stewards, la-
bourers for her good, Ps. xlv. 9 ; Rev. xix. 7 ;
1 Cor. iii. 5, and iv. 1, 2.

As therefore the lady is above the servant, the
queen above the steward, or the wife above all
her husband's officers, so is the church, as such,
above these officers. The temple was higher
than the pillars.

2. Again, as the temple was highest, so it en-
larged itself still upward ; for as it ascendeth in
height, so it still was wider and wider, even
from the lowest chambers to the top.

The first chambers were but five cubits broad,
the middle ' ones were six, but the highest were
seven cubits, 1 Kings vi. 5, 6. The temple
therefore was round about above, some cubits
wider than it was below. For there was an en-
larging, and ascending about still upward to the
side chambers ; for the winding about was still
upward round about the house ; therefore the
breadth of the house was still upward and so
increased from the lowest chamber to the high-
est, by the midst, Ezek. xiii- 7.

And this was to shew us, that God's true gos-
pel temple, which is his church, should have its
cnlargedness of heart still upwards, or most for
spiritual and eternal things ; wherefore he saith,
thy heart shall fear, and be enlarged ; that is,
be most affected with things above, where Christ

SPIRITUALIZED. 47

sitteth on the right hand of God, Isa. Ix. 5 ; Col.
iii. 2, 3. Indeed it is the nature of grace to en-
large itself still upward, and to make the heart
widest for the things that are above.

The temple therefore was narrowest down-
wards, to shew, that a little of earth, or this
world, should serve the church of God. And
having food and raiment, let us therewith be con-
tent.

But now upwards, and as to heavenly things
we are commanded to be covetous, as to them,
and after them to enlarge ourselves, both by the
fashion of the temple, as by express words, 1
Kings iv. 29 ; Isa. Ix. 5 ; Phil. iii. 14 ; 1 Cor.
xii. 31 ; 1 Tim. vi. 8 ; Psal. cxix. 32.

Since then the temple was widest upward, let
us imitate it, and have our conversation in heav-
en. Let our eyes, our ears, our hands and
hearts, our prayers and groans, be most for things
above. Let us open our mouths, as the ground
that is chapt doth for the latter rain, for the
things that are eternal, Job xxix. 23 ; Psal. Ixxxi.
10.

Observe again, that the lowest parts of the
temple were the narrowest parts of the temple ;
so those in the church who are nearest, or most
concerned with earth, are the most narrow spir-
ited, as to the things of God. But now let even
such an one be taken up higher, to above, to the
uppermost parts of the temple, and there he will
be enlarged, and have his heart stretched out.
For the ttmple, as you see, was widest upward?^

lo SOLOMON S TEMPLE

the higher, the more it was enlarged. Paul being
once caught up into Paradise, could not but be
there enlarged, 2 Cor. xii.

One may say of the fashion of the temple, as
some say of a living picture, it speaks. I say,
its form and fashion speaks, it says to ^ill saints,
to all the churches of Christ, open your hearts
for heaven, be ye enlarged upwards.

I read not in scripture of any house, but this,
that was thus enlarged upwards, nor is there any
where, save only in the church of God, th '
which doth answer this similitude.

All other are widest downwards, and have the
largest heart for earthly things ; the church only
is Avidest upwards, and has its greatest enlarge-
ments towards heaven.

CHAPTER XIX.

Of the outward Glory of the Temple.

I do also think, that as to this, there was a
greater expression in it ; I mean, a voice of God,
a voice that teacheth the New-Testament church
to carry even conviction in her outward usages,
that, 1 say, might have conviction to the worklj
And besides these, of its enlarging upwards,
there was such an outward beauty and glory put
upon it, as was alluring to beholders. The stones
were curiously carved, and excellently joined
together ; its outward shew was white and gli'

SPIRITUALIZED. 49

leriiig to the dazzling of the eyes of beholders ;
yea, the disciples themselves were taken with
it, it was so admirable to behold ; hence it is
said, they came to Christ to shew him the build-
ing of the temple : Master, said they, see wh^t
manner of stones, and what buildings are here,
Matt. xxiv. 1 ; Mark xiii. 1 ; Luke xxi. 5. And
hence it is said, that kings and the mighty of
the earth were taken with the glory of it. Be-
cause of thy temple at Jerusalem, shall kings
bring presents unto thee. As it is, Psal. Ixviii.
29, 31.

Kings, Gentile kings, they shall be so taken
with the sight of the outward glory of it ; for
they were not suffered to go into it : no uncir-
^umcised were admitted in thither. It was
therefore with the outward glory of it with
which the beholders were thus taken.

Her enlarging upward, as that was to shew us
what the inward affections of Christians should
be, Col. iii. 1, 2, 3 ; so her curious outward
adorning and beauty, was a figure of the beaute-
ous and holy conversation of the godly. And it
is brave, when the world are made to say of the
lives and conversation of saints, as they were
made to say of the stones and outward building
of the temple : Behold, what Chr-stians, and
what godly conversations are here ! I say, 'tis
* ;^-ivP, when our light so shines before men»
iy, seeing our good works, shall be forced
-% o\ir Father which is in heaven/ Mstt,

jU SOLOMON S temple

Hence this is called our adorning, wherewith
we adorn the gospel, and that by which we beau-
tify it, Tit. ii. 10.

This, I say, is taking to beholders, as was this
goodly outside of the temple. And without
this, what is to be seen in the church of God ?
Her inside cannot be seen by the world, but her
outside may. Now, her outside is very homely,
and without all beauty, save that of the holy
life ; this only is her visible goodliness. This
puts to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
This allureth others to fall in love with their own
salvation, and makes them fall in with Christ
against the devil and his kingdom.

CHARTER XX.

Of the Porch of the Temple.

We come next to the porch of the temple
that is commonly called Solomon's.

1. This porch was in the front of the house,
and so became the common way into the temple,
1 Kings vi. 3 ; 2 Chron. iii. 4.

2. This porch therefore was the place of re-
ception in common for all, whether Jews or re-
hgious proselytes, who came to Jerusalem to
worship. Acts iii. 11, chap. v. 12.

3. This porch had a door or gate belonging t
it, but such as was seldom shut, except in decliii
ing times, or when men put themselves into u

SPIRITUALIZED. ol

rage against those better than themselves, 2
Chron. xxix. 7 ; Acts xxi. 28, 29, 30.

4. This gate of this porch was called beauti-
ful, even the beautiful gate of the temple, and
was that at which the lame man lay to beg for an
alms of them that went in thither to worship,
Actsiii. 1, 2, 10.

Now then, since this porch was the common
place of reception for all worshippers, and the
place also where they laid the beggars, it looks
as if it were to be a type of the church's bosom
for charity. Here the proselytes were enter-
tained, here tHe beggars were relieved, and re-
ceived alms. These gates were seldom shut ;
and the houses of Christian compassion should
be always open. This therefore beautified this
gate, as charity beautifies any of the churches.
Largeness of heart, and tender compassion at
the church door, is excellent, it is the bond of
perfectness, 1 Cor. xii. 31, chap. xiii. 1, 2, 3,4.
Heb. xiii. 1, 2, 3 ; John v. 6, 7 ; Col. iii. 14.

The church porch to this day, is a coming-in
for beggars, and perhaps this practice at first was
borrowed from the beggars lying at the temple
gate. This porch was large, and so should the
charity of the churches be. It was for length,
the breadth of the temple, and of the same size
with the holiest of all, 1 Kings vi. 3 ; 2 Chron.
iii. 4, 5, 6, 7,8.

The first, might be to teach us, in charity we
should not be niggardly, but according to the
breadth of our abilitv, we should extend it to all

,x^ SOLOMON S TEMfLE

the house ; and that in our so doing, the verj
emblem of heaven is upon us, of which the holi-
est was a figure. As therefore we have opportu-
nity, let us do good to all, &c.

It is a fine ornament to a true church, to have
a large church porch, or a wide bosom for re-
ception of all that come thither to worship.
This was commanded to the Jews, and their glo-
ry shone when they did accordingly. And it
shall come to pass in what place the stranger so-
journeth, there shall ye give him his inheritance,
saiththe Lord God, Ez.xlvii.

This porch was, as I said, not only for length,
and breadth of the temple, and so the length and
breadth of the holiest ; but it was, if I mistake
not, for height, far higher than them both. For
the holy place was but thirty cubits high, and
the most holy but twenty ; but the porch was in
height an hundred and twenty cubits. This
beautiful porch therefore was four times as high
as was the temple itself, 1 Kings vi. 2, 20 ; 2
Chron. iii. 4.

One excellent ornament therefore of thi
temple was, for that it had a porch so high, that
is, so famous for height, so high as to be seen
afar off. Charity, if it be rich, runs up from the
church like a steeple, and will be seen afar off;
I say, if it be rich, large, and abounds. Christ's
charity was blazed abroad, it was so high, no
man could hide it; and the charity of the
churches will be seen from church to church ;
yea, and will be spoken of to their commenda

SPIRITUALIZED. o3

tions in every place, if it be warm, fervent, and
high, Mark, vii. 36 ; 2 Cor. viii. 24, chap. ix. 2,
13, 14.

CHAPTER XXL

Of the Ornaments of the Porch of the Temple.

There were three things belonging to the
porch, besides its height, that was an ornament
unto it.

I. It was overlaid within with gold.

II. It had the pillars adjoined unto it.

III. It was the inlet into the temple.

First, It was overlaid with gold, oft-times was
a type of grace, and particularly of the grace of
love. That in Solomon's chariot, called'gold, is
yet again mentioned by the name of love. Song
iii. 9, 10. As it is in the church, the grace of
love is as gold ; it is the greatest, the richest of
graces, and that which abides for ever. Hence,
they that shew much love to saints, are said to
be rich, 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18, 19. And hence
charity is called a treasure, a treasure in the
heavens, Luke xii. 33, 34. Love is a golden
grace ; let then the churches, as the porch of
the temple was, be inlaid with love as gold.

Secondly, It had the pillars adjoined to it, the
which, besides its stateliness, seems to be there
typically to teach example ; for there was seen
5*

O'l SOLOMON S TEMPLK

by the space of four cubits, their hlly work m
the porch, 1 Kings vii. 19.

Of their lilly work I spoke before now, that
they were so placed, that they might be seen in
the porch of the house, it seems to be for exam-
ple, to teach the church, that she should live
without worldly care, as did the apostles, the
first planters of the church. And let ministers
do this ; they are now the pillars of the churches,
and they stand before the porch of the house ;
let them also shew their lilly work to the house,
that the church may learn of them to be without
carefulness, as to worldly things, and also to
be rich in love and charity towards the brethren.

Thirdly, Another ornament of this porch,
was, that it was as an inlet to the temple. Char-
ity is it which receiveth orphans, that receiveth
the poor and afflicted into the church ; worldly
love, or that which is carnal, shuts up bowels,
yea, and the church doors too, against the poor
of the flock ; wherefore look, that this kind of
love be never countenanced by you. Crave that
rather which is a fruit of the Spirit.

O churches ! let your ministers be beautified
with your love, that they may beautify you with
their love, and also be an ornament unto you,
and to that gospel they minister unto you, for
Jesus Christ his sake.

.SPIRITUALIZED.

CHAPTFR XXII.

0/ the Ascent, by which they went up into the
Porch of the Temple.

This porch also had certain steps by which
they went up into the house of the Lord. I
know not directly the number of them, though
Ezekiel speaks something about it, Ezek. xl. 38,
39. Hence when men went to worship in the
temple, they were said, To go up unto the house
of the Lord, Isa. xxxviii. 22.

These steps which were the ascent to the tem-
ple, were so curiously set, and so finely wrought,
that they were amazing to behold. Wherefore
when the queen of Sheba, who came to prove
Solomon's wisdom, saw the house which he had
built, and his ascent by which he went up into
the house of the Lord, she had no more spirit in
her. She was by that sight quite drowned and
overcome, 1 Kings x. 4, 5.

2. These steps ,whether cedar, gold, or stone,
yet that which added to their adornment, was the
wonderment of a queen. And whatever they
were made of, to be sure, they were a shadow of
those steps which we should take to and in the
house of God. Steps of God, Ps. Ixxxv. 13.
Steps ordered by him, Ps. xxxvii. 23. Steps
ordered in his word, Psal. cxix. 133. Steps of
faith, Rom. iv. 12. Steps of the Spirit, 1 Cor.
xii. 18. Steps of truth, 3 John iv. Steps

56

washed with butter, Job xxix. 6. Steps tjiken
before, or in the presence of God. Steps but-
ted and bounded by a divine rule. These are
steps indeed.

There are therefore no such steps as these to
be found any where in the world. A step to
honor, a step to riches, a step to worldly glory ;
these are every where ; but what are these to
the steps by which men do ascend, or go up to
the house of the Lord ?

He then that entereth into the house of the
Lord, is an ascending man ; as it is said of Moses,
he went up into the mount of God. It is as-
cending, to go into the house of God. The
world believe not this, they think it is going
downward to go up to the house of God ; but
they are in a horrible mistake.

The steps then by which men went up into the
temple, are and ought to be opposed to those
which men take to their lusts and empty glories.
Hence such steps are said, not only to decline
from God, but to take hold of the path to death
and hell, Psal, xliv. 18 ; Prov. ii. 18, chap, iv,
chap. vii. 25,26,27.

The steps then, by which men went up to the
house of the Lord, were significative of those
steps which men take when they go to God, to
heaven, and glory ; for these steps were the
way to God, to God in his holy temple.

But how few are there, that, as the queen of
the south, are taken with these Godly steps !
Po not most rather seek to push away our feet

SPIRITUALIZED. 57

from taking hold of the path of life, or else lay
snares for us in the way ? But all these, not-
withstanding, the Lord guide us in the way of his
Steps, they are goodly steps, they are the best.

CHAPTER XXIII.

Of the Gate of the Porch of the Temple.

1. The porch, at which was an ascent to the
temple, had a gate belonging to it. This gate
according to the prophet Ezekiel, was six cubits
wide. The leaves of this gate were double,
one folding this way, the other folding that,
Ezek. xl. 48.

Now, here some may object and say, since
the way to God by these doors were so wide,
why doth Christ say, The way and gate is nar-
row.

Answer. The straitness, the narrowness,
must not be understood of the gate simply, but
because of that cumber that some men carry
with them that pretend to be going to heaven.
Six cubits ? What is sixteen cubits to him who
would enter in here with all the world on his
back ? The young man in the gospel, who made
such a noise for heaven, might have gone in easy
enough ; for in six cubits breadth there is room ;
but poor man ! he was not for going in thither,
unless he might carry in his houses upon his

58 Solomon's temple

shoulders too ; and now the gate was strait,
Markx. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

Wherefore, he that will enter in at the gate
of heaven, of which this gate into the temple
was a type, must go in by himself, and not with
his bundles of trash upon his back ; and if he
will go in thus, he need not fear there is room.
The righteous nation that keepeth the truth,
they shall enter in, Isa. xxvi. 2.

2. They that enter in at the gate of the inner
court, must be clothed in fine linen ; how then
shall they go into the temple, that carry the
clogs of the dirt of this world at their heels ?
Thus saith the Lord, no stranger uncircumcised
in heart, or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter
into my sanctuary, Ezek. xliv. 9.

3. The wideness therefore of this gate is for
this cause here made mention of, to wit, to en-
courage them that would gladly enter thereat,
according to the mind of God, and not to flatter
them that are not for leaving all for God.

4. Wherefore let such as would go in, re-
member that here is room, even a gate to enter
in at, six cubits wide. We have been all this
while but on the outside of the temple, even
the courts of the house of the Lord, to see the
beauty and glory there is there. The beauty
hereof made men cry out and say. How amiable
are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts ! My soul
longeth, yea, fainteth for the courts of the Lord.
And to say, A day in thy courts is better than a
thousand, Psalm Ixxxiv. 1, 2, &c.

SPIRITUALIZED. oL^

CHAPTER XXIV.

Of the Pinnacles of the Temple.

1. There were also several pinnacles belong-
ing to the temple. These pinnacles stood on the
top, aloft in the air, and were sharp, and diffi-
cult to stand upon : what men say of their num-
ber and length, I wave, and come directly to
their signification.

2. I therefore take those pinnacles to be the
types of those lofty airy notions, with which
some men delight themselves, while they hover,
like birds, above the solid and godly truths of
Christ. Satan attempted to entertain Jesus
Christ with this type and anti-type, at once,
when he set him on one of the pinnacles of the
temple, and offered to thrust him upon a false
confidence in God, by a false and unfound inter-
pretation of a text, Matt, iv. 5, 6 ; Luke iv. 9,
10,11,

3. You have some men cannot be content
to worship in the temple, but must be aloft, no
place will serve them but pinnacles, that they
may be speaking in and to the air ; that they
may be promoting their heady notions, instead
of solid truths ; not considering, that now they
are where the devil would have them be, they
strut upon their points, their pinnacles ; but' let
them look to it, there is difficult standing upon
pinnacles, their neck, their soul is in danger

CO Solomon's temple

We read, God is in his temple, not upon these
pinnacles, Ps. xi. 4.

4. It is true, Christ was once upon one oi
these, but the devil set him there, with intent to
have dashed him in pieces by a fall ; and yet
even then told him, if he would venture to tum-
ble down, he should be kept from dashing his
feet against a stone. To be there, therefore,
was one of Christ's temptations, consequently
one of Satan's stratagems ; nor went he thither
of his own accord, for he knew that there wa-
danger ; he loved not to clamber pinnacles.

5. This should teach Christians to be low and
little in their own eyes, and to forbear to in-
trude into airy and vain speculations, and to take
heed of being puffed up with a foul and empty
mind.

CHAPTER XXV.

Of the Porters of the Temple.

There were porters belonging to the temple.
In David's time their number was four thousand
men, 1 Chron. xxiii. 5.

2. The porters were of the Levites, and
their work was to watch at every gate of the
house of the Lord. At the gate of the out-
ward court, at the gates of the inner court, and
at the door of the temple of the Lord, 2 Chrt "

SPIRITUALIZED. 01

3. The work of the porters, or rather the
reason of their watching, was to look that none,
not duly qualified, entered into the house of the
Lord. He set, saith the text, porters at the
gates of the house of the Lord, that none which
was unclean in any thing should enter in, 2
Chron. xxiii. 19.

4. The excellency of the porters lay in these
three things ; their watchfulness, diligence, and
valor, to make resistance to those that as unfit
would attempt to enter those courts, and the
house of God, 1 Chron. xxvi. 6 ; Mark xiii. 34.

6. These porters were types of our gospel
ministers, as they are set to be watchmen in and
over the church, and the holy things of God.
Therefore, as Christ gives to every man, in the
church his work, so he commands the porter to
watch, Ezek. iii. 17, ch. xxxiii. 7 ; Acts xx. 31 ;
2 Tim. iv. 6 ; Rev. iii. 2, 3.

6. Sometimes every awakened Christian is
said to be a porter ; and such at Christ's first
knock, open unto him immediately, Luke xii.
36 to 39.

7. The heart of a Christian is also sometimes
called the porter, for that when the true Shep-
herd comes to it, to him this porter openeth
also, John x. 3.

8. This last has the body for his watch

house, the eyes and ears for his port holes, the

tongue, therewith to cry, who comes there ? as

, also to c«m for aid, when any thing unclean shall

6

^2 Solomon's temple

attempt with force and violence to enter m, to
defile the house.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Of the Charge of the Porters of the Temple
more particularly.

The charge of the porters was to keep their
watch, in four square, even round about the
temple of God. Thus it was ordained by David,
before him by Moses, and after him by Solomon
his son, 1 Chron. ix. 24 ; Numb. iii. 2 ; 2 Chron.
xxiii. 19, chap. xxxv. 15.

2. The porters had, some of them, the charge;
of the treasure chambers, some of them had
the charge of the ministering vessels, even to
bring them in and out by tale. Also the open-
ing and shutting of the gates of the house of the
Lord, was a part of their calling and office.

1 . I told you the porters were types of our
gospel ministers, as they are watchmen in and
over the house of God ; and therefore in that
they were thus to watch round about the temple.
What is it, but to shew, how diligent satan is to
see if he may get in somewhere, by some means
to defile the church of God. He gees round and
round, and round us, to see if he can find a hog-
hole for that purpose.

?. This also sheweth, that the church of it
self, without its watchmen, is a weak, feeble,

SPIRITUALIZED. G3

ill very helpless thing. What can the lady or
aistress do to defend herself against thieves and
sturdy villians, if there be none but she at home ?
It is said. When the shepherd is smitten, the
sheep shall be scattered. What could the tem-
ple do without its watchmen ?

3. Again, in that the porters had charge of the
treasure chambers, (as it is, 1 Chron. ix. 26,) it
is to imitate, that the treasures of the gospel are
with the ministers of our God ; and that the
church, next to christ, should seek them at their
mouth. We have this treasure in earthen ves-
sels, saith Paul ; and they are stewards of the
manifold mysteries of God, 1 Cor. iv. 1 ; 2 Cor.
iv. 7; 1 Peter iv. 10; Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13.

4. These are God's true scribes, and bring
out of their treasury things new and old ; or, as
he saith in another place, at our gates, that is,
where our porters watch, are all manner of
pleasant fruit, which I have laid up for thee, O
my beloved. Matt. xiii. 52 ; Song vii. 13.

6. Further, some of them had charge of the
ministering vessels, and they were to bring them
in and out by tale, 1 Chron. ix. 28.

1 , If by ministering vessels you understand
gospel ordinances, then you see who has the
charge of them, to wit, the watchmen and min-
isters of the word, Luke i. 12 ; 2 Thess. ii. 15 ;
2 Tim. ii. 2.

2. If by ministering vessels, you mean the
members of the church, for they are also min-
istering vessels, then you see who has the care

64 Solomon's temple.

of them, to wit, the pastors, the gospel minis-
ters.

Therefore obey them that have the rule over
you, for they watch for your souls, as they that
must give an account, that they may do it with
joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable
for you, Rom. ix. 22. ch. xiii. 17.

3. The opening of the gates did also belong
to the porters, to shew, that the power of the
key, to wit, of opening and shutting, of letting
in, and keeping out of the church, doth ministe-
rially belong to these watchmen. Matt. xvi. 19 ;
Heb. xii. 15.

4. The conclusion is, then, let the churches
love their pastors, hear their pastors, be ruled
by their pastors, and suffer themselves to be
watched over, and to be exhorted, counselled,
and, if need be, reproved and rebuked by their
pastors. And let the ministers not sleep, but
be watchful and look to the ordinances, to the
souls of the saints, and the gates of the church
e?. Watchmen I watchmen I watch.

CHAPTER XXVII.

Of the Doors of the Temple.

Now we are come to the gate of the temple,
namely, to that which led out of the porch into
the holy place.

SPIRITUALIZED. (So

1, These doors or gates were folding, and
they opened by degrees. First, a quarter, then
a half, after that three quarters, and last of all
the whole. These doors also hanged upon
hinges of gold, and upon posts made of the
goodly olive trees, 1 Kings vi. 33, 34 ; Ezek.
xh. 23, 24.

2. These doors did represent Christ, as he is
the way to the Father, as also did the door of
the tabernacle at which the people were wont
to stand, when they went to inquire of God.
Wherefore Christ saith, I am the door, (allud-
ing to this) by me if any man enter, he shall be
saved, and go in and out, and find pasture, Exod.
xxxiii. 9, 10; xxxviii. 8; xl. 12; Levit. i. 3 ;
viii. 3, 4, 13; xv. 14 ; Numb. iv. 13, 18 ; x. 3 ;
XV. 6 ; xxvii. 2 ; 1 Sam. ii. 22 ; John x. 9.

1. I am the door. The door into the court,
the door into the porch, the door into the tem-
ple, the door into the holiest, the door to the
Father. But now we are at the door of the
temple.

2. And observe it, this door by Solomon was
not measured, as the door of the porch was, for
though the door into the court, and the door into
the porch were measured, to shew that the right
to ordinances, and the inlet into the church, is
to be according to a prescript rule, yet this door
was not measured, to shew that Christ, as he is
the inlet to saving grace, is beyond all measure,
and unsearchable. Hence his grace is called
unsearchable riches, and that above all we can

6*

(>G Solomon's templf.

ask or think, for that itpasseth all knowledge,
Eph. iii. 18, 19,20.

3. It is therefore convenient that we put a
note upon this that we may distinguish rule and
duty from grace and pardoning mercy ; for, as
1 said, though Christ, as the door to outward
privileges, is set forth by rule and measure ; yet
as he is the door to grace and favour, never crea-
ture, as yet, did see the length and breadth of
him, Eph. iii. 17, 18, 19.

4. Therefore, I say, this gate was not measur-
ed, for what should a rule do here, where things
are beyond all measure ?

5. This gate being also to open by degrees,
is of signification to us, for it will be opening
first by one fold, then by another, and yet will
never be set wide open until the day of judg-
ment. For then, and not till then, will the
whole of the matter be open. For now we see
through a glass darkly, but then face to face ;
now we know in part, but then we shall know
even as we are known, 1 Cor. xiii. 2,

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Of the leaves of this Gate of the Temple.

The leaves of this gate or door, as I told you
before, were folding, and so, as was hinted, has
something of signification in them. For by this
mean«, a man, especially a young disciple, nia^

SPIRITUALIZED. 67

easily be mistaken ; thinking that the whole pas-
sage, when yet but a part was open, whereas
three parts might be kept undiscovered to him.
For these doors, as I said before, were never yet
set wide open, I mean in the anti-type ; never
man yet saw all the riches and fulness which is
in Christ. So that I say, a new comer, if he
judgeth by present sight, especially if he saw but
little, might easily be mistaken ; wherefore such,
for the most part, are horribly afraid that they
shall never get in thereat.

How sayest thou, Young comer, is not thisf
the case with thy soul ? So it seems to thee,
that thou art too big, being so great, so turn-bel-
lied a sinner. But, O thou sinner, fear not, the
doors are folding doors, and may be opened
wide, and wider again after that ; wherefore
when thou comest to this gate, and imaginest
there is not space enough for thee to enter,
knock, and it shall be wider opened unto thee,
and thou shalt be received, Luke xi. 9 ; John ix.
37. So then, whoever thou art, thou art
come to the door, of which the temple door was
a type ; trust not to thy first conception of things,
but believe there is grace abundance. Thou
knowest not yet what Christ can do, the doors are
folding doors. He can do exceeding abundantly,
above all that we ask or think, Eph. iii. 20.

The hinges on which these doors do hang,
were, as I told you, gold, to signify, that they
both turned upon motives and motions of lorr.

WS S6L0M0N S TEMPLE

and also that the openings thereof were rich.
Golden hinges the gate to God doth turn upon .

The posts on which these doors did hang,
were of the olive-tree, that fat and oily tree, to
show, that they do never open with lothness or
sluggishness, and as doors do, whose hinges want
oil. They are always oily, and so open easily
and quickly to those who knock at them. Hence
you read, that he that dwells in this house givc^
freely, loves freely, and doth us good with all
his heart. Yea, saith he, I will rejoice over
them to do them good, and will plant them in
this land assuredly, with my whole heart and
with my soul, Jer. iii. 12, 14, 22, ch. xxxii. 41 ;
Rev. xxi. 6, ch. xxii. 17.

Wherefore the oil of grace, signified by this
oily tree, or those olive posts, on which these
doors do hang, do cause that they open glibly,
or frankly to the soul.

CHAPTFR XXIX.

IVhat the Doors of the Temple were made of.

The doors of the temple were made of fir,
that is so sweet-scented and pleasant to the smell,
1 Kings vi. 34.

2. Mankind is also often compared to the fir-
tree, as Isa. xli. 19, ch. Ixv. 13, ch. I. 17, ch,
xiv. 8.

SPIRITUALIZED- 69

3. Now since the doors of the temple were
made of the same, doth it not show, that the way
into God's house, and into his favour, is hy the
same nature of which they are of, that thither
enter, even through the vail his flesh ? Heb. x.
For this door, I mean the anti-type, doth even
say of himself, I am as a green fir-tree, from me
is thy fruit found, Hos. xiv. 8.

4. This fir-tree is Christ, Christ as man, and
so as the way to the Father. The doors of the
temple are also, as you see here, made of the
fir-tree ; even of that tree which was a type of
the humanity of Jesus Christ. Consider, Heb.
ii. 14.

5. The fir-tree is also the house of the stork,
that unclean bird, even as Christ is a harbor and
shelter for sinners. As for the stork, saith the
text, the fir-tree is her house ; and Christ saith
to the sinners that see their want of shelter.
Come unto me, and I will give you rest. He is
a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in time of
trouble, Deut. xiv. 18 ; Lev xi 19 ; Psalm civ.
17, ch. Ixxiv. 2, 3; Matt. xi. 28 ; Heb. vi. 17
—20

He is as the doors of fir of the temple, the
inlet to God's house, to God's presence, and to
a partaking of his glory. Thus God did of ol4
by sinxilitudes teach his people his way.

CHAPTER XXX.

How the Doors of the Temple were adorned.

And Solomon carved upon the doors, cheni
bims, palm-trees, and open flowers, and over
laid them all with gold, 1 Kings vi. 35 ; Ezek
xH. 15.

He carved cherubims thereon.

These Cherubims were figures, or types of
angels, and forasmuch as they were carved here
upon the door, it was to shew.

First, What delight the angels take in waiting
upon the Lord, and in going at his bidding, at his
beck. They are always waiting servants at the
door of their Lord's house.

Secondly, It may be also to shew how much
pleased they are to be where they may see sin-
ners come to God. For there is joy in the pre-
sence of the angels of God, over one sinner that
repenteth, and comes to God by Christ for mercv
Luke XV. 10.

Thirdly, They may also be placed here to
behold with what reverence or ir-reverence
those that come hither to worship do behave
themselves. Hence Solomon cautions those that
come to God's house to worship, that they take
heed to their feet because of the angels. Paul
also says, women must take heed, that they be-
have themselves in the church as they should .

SPIRITUALIZED. 71

and that because of the angels, Eccl. v. 1, 2, 6 ;
! Cor. xi. 14.

Fourthly, They may be also carved upon the
temple doors, to show us, how ready they are
so soon as any poor creature comes to Christ
for hfe, to take the care and charge of its con-
duct through this miserable word : Are they
not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister
for those which shall be heirs of salvation, Heb.
i. 14.

Fifthly, They may also be carved here, to
show, that they are ready at Christ's command,
to take vengeance for him upon thos6 that de-
spise his people, and hate his person. Hence,
he bids the world take heed what they do to
his httle ones, for their angels behold the face
of their Father which is in heaven, and are ready
at the door to run at his bidding. Matt, xviii. 10.

Sixthly, or lastly, They may be carved upon
these doors, to shew, that Christ Jesus is the
very supporter and upholder of angels, as well
as the Saviour of sinful man ; for as he is before
all things, so by him all things consist ; angels
stand by Christ, men are saved by Christ, and
therefore the very cherubims themselves were
carved upon these doors, to shew, they are up~
held, and subsist by him, 1 Cor. viii, 6 ; Col, i.
%7 ; Heb. i. 3.

Secondly, Again, as the cherubims are carved
*1iere, so weffe the palm-trees carved here also.
The palm-tree is upright, it twisted not itself
«awry, Jer. x. 5.

72 Solomon's temple

1. Apply this to Christ, and then it shews us
the uprightness of his heart, word, and ways,
with sinners. Good and upright is the Lord,
therefore will he teach sinners in the way, in at
the door to life, Psalm xxv. 8, ch. xcii. 16.

The palm or palm-tree is also a token of vic-
tory, and as placed here, it betokeneth the con-
quest that Christ, the door, should get over sin,
death, the devil, and hell, for us, Rom. vii. 24,
ch. viii. 37 ; 1 Cor. xv. 54 — 66 ; Rev. vii. 9,
10, 11.

3. If we apply the palm-tree to the church,
as we may, for she also is compared thereto,
Song. vii. 8 — 10, then the palm-tree may be
carved here to shew, that none but such as are
upright of heart and life, shall dwell in the pre
sence of God. The hypocrite^ says Job, shall
not come before him. The upright, says David,
shall dwell in thy presence, Job xiii. 16 ; Pslam
xiv. 3, 4.

They are they that are clothed in white robes,
which signifies uprightness of life, that stand
before the Lamb with palms in their hands. Rev.
vii. 9.

Thirdly, There were also carved upon these
doors open flowers, and that to teach us, that
here is the sweet scent and fragrant smell, and
that the coming soul will find it so in Christ, this
door. I am, saith he, the rose of Sharon, and
the lilly of the valleys. And again, his cheeks
ar» uft beds of spices, m^ §^ver^ flowers ; U%

SPIRITUALIZED, 13

lips like lillies dropping sweet smelling myrrh,
Song ii. 1, ch, v. 13.

Open flowers ; open flowers are the sweetest,
because full-grown, and because as such, they
yield their fragrancy more sweetly. Where,
when he saith, upon the doors are open flowers,
he setteth Christ Jesus forth in his good savours,
as high as by such similitudes, he could ; and
that both in name and office : For open flowers
lay, by their thus opening themselves before us,
all their beauty also most plainly before our
faces. There are varieties of beauty in open
flowers, the which they also commend to all ob-
servers. Now, upon these doors, you see are
open flowers, flowers ripe and spread before us,
to shew, that its name and offices are savoury
to them, that by him do enter his house to his
Father, Song i. 1 — 4.

All these were overlaid with fine gold. Gold
is most rich of all metals : And here it is said,
the doors, the cherubims, the palm-trees, and
open flowers, were overlaid therewith. And
this shews, that as these things are rich in them-
selves, even so they should be to us.

We have a golden door to go to God by, and
golden angels to conduct us through the W6rld.
We have golden palm-trees as tokens of our
victory, and golden flowers to ftmell on all the
way to heaven.

74 SOLOMON'S TEMPLF

CHAPTER XXXI,
Of the Wall of the Temple.

The wall of* the temple was ceiled with in
which he overlaid with fine gold, and set there-
en palm-trees and chains, 2 Chron iii. 5 — 7.

The walls were as the hody of the house,
unto which Christ alluded, when he said, destroy
this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
John ii. 19 — 21.

Hence to be, and worship in the temple, was
a type of being in Christ, and worshipping God
by him : For Christ, as it was said, is the great
temple of God, in which all the elect meet, and
in whom they do service to and for his Father.

Hence again, the true worshippers are said to
be in him, to speak in him, to walk in him, to
obey him, 2 Cor. ii. 14. ch. xii. 19 ; Col. ii. 6.
For, as of old, all true worship was to be found
at the temple, so now it is only found with
Christ, and with them that are in him. The
promise of old was made to them that worship-
ped within these walls : I will give, saith he,
to them in my house, and within my walls, (to
them that worship there in truth,) a place and a
name better than that of sons and daughters, Isa.
V. 5, 6.

But now, in New Testament times, all the
promises in him, are yea, and in him, Anieri. to
the glory of God by us, 2 Cor. j. 20.

sriaiTUALizEf). 75

This is yet further hinted to us, in that it is
said, these walls are ceiled with fir ; which, as
was shewed before, was a figure oftN;he human-
ity of Jesus Christ.

A wall is for defence, and so is the humanity
of Jesus Christ. It was, and will be our defence
forever ; for it was that which underwent and
overcame the curse of the law, and in that
which our everlasting righteousness is found.
Had he not in that interposed, we had perished
forever. Hence we are said to be reconciled to
God by the body of his flesh through death, Col.
i. 19, 20 ; Rom. v. 8—10.

Now this wall was overlaid with fine gold.
Gold is here a figure of the righteousness of
Christ, by which we are justified in the sight of
God, Therefore you read, that his church, aiti
justified, is said to stand at his righthand in cloth
of gold. Upon the righthand did stand the
queen in gold of Ophir ; and again, her clothing
is of wrought gold, Psalm xlv. 9, 13. This the
wall was overlaid with ; this the body of Christ
was filled with. Men, while in the temple,
were clothed with gold, even with the gold of
the temple ; and men in Christ are clothed with
righteousness, the righteousness of Christ ; [or
the righteousness of faith in Christ.] Where-
fore this consideration doth yet more illustrate
the matter.

In that the palm-trees were set on this wall,
it may be to shew that the elect are fixed in Je-
»=u?, and so shall abide for ever.

TG

Chains were also carved on these walls, yea,
^d they were golden chains. There were
chains on th^ pillars, and now also we find chains
upon the walls, Phil. i. 12, 13.

Chains were used to hold one captive ; and
such Paul did wear at Rome, but he calls them
his bands in Christ.

2. Chains sometimes signify great afflictions,
which God lays on us for our sins, Psalm cvii.
9 — 11 ; Lam. i. 14, ch. iii. 7.

3. Chains also may be more mystically under-
stood, as of those obligations which the love of
God lays upon us to do and suffer for him, Acts
XX. 22.

4. Chains do sometimes signify beauty and
comely ornaments ; thy neck, saith Christ to
his spouse, is comely with chains of gold : And
j^ain, I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a
chain about thy neck. Song i. 10 ; Ezek. xiv. 8
—-11 ; Prov. i. 9.

6. Chains also do sometimes denote greatness
and honour, such as Daniel had when the king
made him the third ruler in the kingdom, Dan.
V. 7, 16, 29.

Now all these are temple chains and are put
upon us for good ; some to prevent our ruin,
some to dispose our minds the better, and some
to dignify and make us noble, — temple chains
are brave cliains. None but temple worship-
pers must wear temple chains.

SPIR.IXUAJ.IZE©,

CHAPTER XXXJI.

Of the Garnish of the Temple with Precious
Stones.

And he garnished the house with precious
stones for beauty, 2 Chron. iii. 6, 7.

1. This is another ornament to the temple of
the Lord ; wherefore, as he saith, it was gar-
nished with them for beauty. The Tme saith,
garnished, the margin saith, covered.

2. Wherefore I think they were fixed as stars;
or as the stars in the firmament, so they were
set in the ceihng of the house, as in the heaven
of the holy temple.

3. And thus fixed, they do the more aptly tell
us of what they were a figure, namely, of the
ministerial gifts and offices in the church. For
ministers, as to their gifts and office, are called
stars of God, and are said to be in the hand of
Christ, Rev. i. 20.

4. Wherefore, as the stars glitter and twinkle
in the firmament of heaven, so do true ministers
in the firmament of his church, 1 Chron. xxxix,
2 ; John v. 35 ; Dan. xii. 2.

5. So that it is said again, these gifts come
down from above, as signifying, they distil their
dew from above. And hence again, the minis-
ters are said to be set over us in the Lord, as
placed in the firmament of his heaven, to give
a light upon his earth. Thjere k gold, a^d a

7*

78 Solomon's temple

multitude of rubies, but the lips of knowledge
are a precious jewel, Prov. xx. 16.

Verily it is enough to make a man in this house
look always upward, since the ceiling above
head doth thus glitter with precious stones.

Precious stones, all manner of precious stones,
stones of all colours : For there are divers
gifts, diflferences of administrations, and diver-
sities of operations : But it is the same God
which worketh all in all, 1 Cor. xii. 4 — 6.

Thus had the ceiling of this house a pearl
here, and there a diamond ; here a jasper, and
there a sapphire ; here a sardius, and there a
jacinth ; here a sardonix, and there an amethyst ;
For to one is given by the Spirit, the word of
wisdom ; to another, the word of knowledge ;
to one, the gift of healing ; to another, faith ;
to this man, io work miracles ; that, a spirit of
prophecy ; to another, the discerning of spirits ;
to another, divers kinds of tongues, 1 Cor. xii.
8—11.

He also overlaid the house, beams, posts,
walls, doors, &c. and all with gold. O what a
beautiful house the temple was ! how full of
glory was it ! And yet all was but a shadow, a
shadow of things to come, and which was to be
answered in the church of the living God, the
pillar and ground of truth, by better things than
these.

SPIRITUALIZED. 79

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Of the Windows of the Temple.

And for the house he made windows of nar-
row lights, 1 Kings iv. 4. There were win-
dows for this house, windows for the chambers,
and windows round about, Ezek. iv. 16, 22, 23,
24, 25, 29, 33, 36.

These windows were of several sizes, but
all narrow without, but wider within ; they also
were finely wrought, and beautified with goodly
stones, Isa. liv. 14.

1. Windows, as they are to an house an orna-
ment, so also to it they are a benefit. Truly
the light is good, and a pleasant thing : it is for
the eye to behold the sun, Eccl. xi. 7. The
window is that which Christ looks forth at, the
window is that which the sun looks in at, Song,
ii. 9.

2. By the light which shines in at the window,
we also see to make and keep the house clean,
and also to do what business is necesssary there
to be done. In thy light we see light ; light to
our duty, and that both to God and man.

3. These windows therefore were figures of
the written word, by and through which Christ
shews himself to his, and by which we also ap-
prehend him. And hence the word of God is
compared to a ^glass, through which the light
doth come, and by which we see not only the

BO SOLOMON S TEMPLL

beams of the sun, but our own smutches also,
2 Chron. iii. 18 ; James i. 23—25.

4. The Hghts indeed were narrow, where-
fore we see also through their anti-type but
darkly and imperfectly. Now we see through
a glass darkly, or as in a riddle ; now we know
but in part, 1 Cor. xiii. 12.

6. Their windows and their light are but of
little service to those that are without. The
world sees but little of the beauty of the church
by the light of the written word, though the
church by that light, can see the dismal state of
the world, and also how to avoid it.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

Of the Chambers of the Temple.

In the temple Solomon made chambers, 1
Kings vi. 5.

1. The chambers were of several sizes ;
some little, some large ; some higher, some
lower ; some more inward, and some outward.

2. These chambers were for several services ;
some were for rest, some to hide in, some to lay
up treasure in, and some for solace and delight,
2 Chron. iii. 9 ; Ezek. xl. 7, ch. xli. 5, 9, 44 ;
2 Chron xxxi. 11, 12 ; 2 Kings xi. 1, 2, 3 ; Ezra
viii. 29.

1 . They were for resting places. Here the
priests and porters were wont to lodge.

SPIRITUALIZKD. SI

2. They were for hiding places. Here Je-
hosheba hid Joash from Athaliah the term of
six years.

3. They were also to lay the temple treasure,
or dedicated thmgs in, that they may be safely
kept there for the worshippers.

4. And some of them were for solace and de-
light ; and I must add, some for durable habita-
tion. Wherefore, in some of them some dwelt
always, yea, their names dwelt there when they
were dead.

1 . Those of them which were for rest, were
types of that rest which by faith we have in the
Son of God, Matt. xi. and of that eternal rest
which we shall have in heaven by him, Heb.
iv. 3.

2. Those chambers which were for hiding
and security, were types of that safety which
we have in Christ from the rage of the world,
Isa. xxvi. 20.

3. Those, chambers which were for the re-
ception of the treasures and dedicated things,
were types of Christ, as he is the common store-
house of believers : For it pleased the Father,
that in him should all fulness dwell, and of his
fulness we all receive, and grace for grace,
Johni. 16 ; Col. i. 19.

4. Those chambers that were for solace and
delight, wore types of those retirements and
secret meetings of Christ with the soul, where
he gives it his embraces, and delights her with
his bosom and ravishing delights. He brought

lit* Solomon's temple

rne, said she, into his chambers, into the cham-
ber of her which conceived me, and there he
gave her his love, Song i. 4, ch. iii. 4.

6. The chambers which were for durable
dwelling places, were types of those eternal
dwelhng places which were in the heavens, pre-
pared of Christ and the Father for them that
ehall be saved, John xiv. 1 — 4 ; 2 Cor. v. 1—4.

This it is to dwell on high, and to be safe from
fear of evil. Here therefore, you see, are
chambers for rest, chambers for safety, cham-
bers for treasure, chambers for solace, and cham-
bers for durable habitations. O the rest and
peace that the chambers of God's high house
will yield to its inhabitants in another world !
Here they will rest from their labours, rest up-
on their beds, rest with God, rest from sin, temp-
tation, and all sorrow, Rev. xiv. 13 ; Isa. Ivii. 1,
2 ; 2 Thess. i. 7.

God therefore then shall wipe all tears from
our eyes, even when he comes out of his cham-
bers as a bridegroom, to fetch his bride, his
wife, unto him thither, Jo the end they may
have eternal solace together.

O these are far better than the chambers of
the south '

SPIRITUALIZKD.

CHAPTFR XXXV.

Of the Stairs by which they weyit up into tht
Chambers oj the Temple.

There were stairs by which men went up
into these chambers of the temple, and they
were but one pair, and they went from below
to the first, and so to the middle, and thence to
the highest chambers in the temple, 1 Kings vi.
8 ; Ezek. xli. 7.

1. These stairs were winding, so that they
turned about that did go up them. So then he
that assayed to go into those chambers, must
turn with the stairs, or he could not go up, no,
not in the lowest chambers.

2. These stairs, therefore, were a type of a
two-fold repentance : That by which we turn
from nature to grace, and by which we turn
from the imperfections which attend a state of
grace to glory. Hence, true repentance, or the
right going up these turning stairs, is called re-
pentance to salvation ; for true repentance stop-
peth not at the reception of grace, for that is
but a going up these stairs to the middle cham-
bers, 2 Cor. vii. 10.

Thus therefore, the soul, as it goes up these
stairs tu?ns and turns, till it enters the doors of
the highest chambers.

It groans, t.hough in a state of grace, because

84 Solomon's templk

that is not the state of glory. I count then, that
from the first to the middle chambers, may be
a type of turning from nature to grace. But
from the middle to the highest, these stairs may r
signify a turning still from the imperfections and
temptations that attend a state of grace, to that
of immortality and glory, 2 Cor. v. 1 — 9.

For, as there are turning stairs from the low-
est to the middle chambers, so the stairs from
thence still turn, and so will do till you come to
the highest chambers. I do not say, that they
that have received grace, do repent they re-
ceived grace ; but, I say, that they that have re^
ceived grace, are yet sorry that grace is not con-
summate in glory. And hence they are for going
up thither still by by these turning stairs ; yea, \
they cannot rest below as they would, till they '
ascend to the highest chambers. O wretched
man that I am ! and in this we groan earnestly,, i
is the language of gracious souls, 2 Cor. i. 2, 3.

True, every one doth not thus that comes
into the temple of God ; many rest below stairs,
they like not to go turning upward. Nor do I
believe, that all that bid fair for ascending to
the middle chambers, get up to the highest
stories, to his stories in the heavens. Many in
churches, who seem to be turned from nature
to grace^ have not the grace to go up turning
still, but rest in that show of things, and so die
below a share in the highest chamber^.

All these things are true in the anti-type, and,
as I think, prefigured by these turting stairs, to

SFIIIITUALIZED. 85

the chambers of the temple. But this turning,
and turning still, displeases some much; they
say, it makes them giddy. But I say, there is
no way like this, to make a man stand steady,
stedfast in the faith, and with boldness in the
day of judgment ; for he has this in his heart,
1 went up by the turning stairs till I came to the
highest chambers. A strait pair of stairs are
like that ladder by which men ascend to the
gallows ; they are the turning ones that lead us
to the heavenly mansion-house. Look there-
fore, you that come into the temple of God to
worship, that you stay not at the foot of these
turning stairs, and go up thence, yea, up them,
and up them, and up them, till you come to the
view of the heavens ; yea, till you are possessed
of the highest chambers. How many times has
God,, by the scripture, called upon you to turn,
and told you, you must turn or die : and now
here he has added to his call a figure, by plac-
ing a pair of turning stairs in his temple, to con-
vict your very senses, that you must turn, if you
mean to go up into his holy chambers, and so
into his eternal mansion-house. And look that
you turn to purpose, for every turning will not
serve. Some turn, but not to the Most High,
and so turn to no purpose.

<^o solojion's temple

CHAPTER XXXVr.

Of the Molten-Sea that was in the Temple.

There was also a molten-sea in the temple, it
was made of brass, and contained three thousand
baths, 2 Chron. iv. 2 to 8.

This sea was for the priests to wash in, when
they came into the temple to accomplish the
service of God, to wash their hands and feet at,
that they might not, when they came thither,
die for their unpreparedness. The laver also
which was in the wilderness, was of the same
use there, Exod. xxviii.

1. It was, as may be supposed, called a sea,
for that it was large to contain, and a sea of
brass, for that it was made thereof. It is called
in the Revelations, a sea of glass, alluding to that
in the wilderness, which was made of the brazen
looking glass, of the women that came to wor-
ship at the door of the tabernacle. Rev. iv. 6 :
ch. XV. 2 ; Exod. xxviii. 8.

It was'also said to be molten, because it was
made of that fashion by fire ; and its anti-type
therefore said to be a sea of glass mingled with
fire, Rev. xv. 2.

1. This sea was a figure of the word of the
gospel, in the cleansing virtue of it ; which
virtue then it has when mingled with the fire
of the HoIy Ghost. And to this Christ alludes,

SPIRITUALIZLD.

Avhen he saith, now ye are clean through the
word which I have spoken unto you, John xv. 3.

2. It was a figure of the word, without mix-
ture of men's invention. Hence it is called
pure water, having your bodies washed with pure
water. And again, he sanctifies and cleanseth
his church with the washing of water ,by the
word, Eph. v. 26 ; Tit. iii. 5.

All these places are an allusion to the molten
sea, at which of old they washed when they
went into the temple to worship. Therefore,
eaith he, being washed, let us draw near to God,
Heb. X. 22.

3. This sea, from brim to brim, was complete
ten cubits, perhaps to shew there is as much in
the word of the gospel to save, as there is in the
ten words to condemn.

4. From under this sea round about, appear-
ed oxen, ten in a cubit did compass it round
about, 2 Chron. v. 3. Understand by these
oxen ministers, for to them they are compared
in, 1 Cor. ix. 9. And thence we are taught

'whence true ministers come, to wit, from under
the power of the gospel ; for this sea breeds
gospel ministers, as the waters breed fish.

6. It is also said in the text, that these oxen
were cast, when the seaj^was cast ; insinuating,
that when God ordained a word of grace to save
us, he also in his decree provided ministers to
preach it to us to that end. Paul tells us, that
he was made a minister of the gospel, according
to God's eternal purpose, which he purposed in

88 Solomon's temple

Christ Jesus our Lord, Eph. iii. 9, 10, 11 ; Col.
i. 25.

This sea is said to have a brim like the brim
of a cup, to invite, as well to drink of its grace
as to wash in its water ; for the word and spirit,
when mixed, has not only a cleansing, but a sav-
ing quality in it, 2 Chron. iv. 1 — 5 ; 1 Cor. xv.

7. This brim was wtought with lillies, or was
like a lilly flower, to shew how they should
grow and flourish, and with what beautiful robes
they should be adorned, who were washed and
did drink of this holy water ; yea, that God
would take care of them, as he also did of the
lilhes, and would not fail to bestow upon them
what was necessary for the body, as well as for
the soul, Matt. iv. 28—33.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

Upon what the Molten-Sea stood in the Temple.

This molten-sea stood upon the backs of
twelve brazen bulls, or oxen, 2 Chron. iv. 4.

2. These oxen, as they stood, looked three
towards the north, three towards the west,
three towards the east, and three towards the
south.

3. These twelve oxen we.'o types of th»
twelve apostles of the Lamb, who, as thest
beasts stood looking into the four comers of the

SPIRITUALIZED. 89

f.arth, were bid to go preach the gospel in all
the world.

4. They were compared to oxen, because
they were clean, for the ox was a clean beast.
Hence the apostles are called holy. They were
compared to oxen, because the ox is strong, and
they also were mighty in the word, Prov. xiv.
4 ; 2 Cor. xii. 12.,

5. The ox will not lose what he has got by
drawing : he will not let the wheels go back.
So the apostles were set to defend, and not let
that doctrine go back which they had preached
to others, nor did they ; they delivered it pure
to us.

6. One of the cherubs, of which you read in
the vision, had a face like an ox, to shew that the
apostles, these men of the first order, are most
like the angels of God, Ezek. i. 10.

7. In that they stood with their faces every
way, it was, as I said, to shew how the apostles
should carry the gospel into all the world, Matt,
xxviii. 19 ; Mark xvi.

8. And observe, just as these oxen were
placed, looking in the temple every way, even
so stand open the gates of the new Jerusalem,
to receive those that by their doctrine should be
brought into it. And they shall come from the
east, and from the west, and from the north,
and frpm the south, and shall sit down in the
kingdom of God, Rev. xxi. 13, 14 ; Luke xiii.
29.

8*

1)0 Solomon's temple

9. These oxen bear this molten-sea upon
their backs, to shew, that they should be the
foundation workmen of the gospel, and that it
ought not to be removed, as was the molten-sea
of old, from that basis to another.

10. It is also said concerning these oxen that
thus did bear the molten sea, that all their hinder
parts w^ere inwards, tnat is, covered by that sea
that was set upon their backs. Their hinder
parts, or, as the apostle has it, our uncomely
parts, 1 Cor. xii. 23, 24.

1 1 . And indeed it becomes a gospel minister
to have his uncomely parts covered with that
grace which by the gospel he preacheth unto
others. As Paul exhorts Timothy, to take heed
unto himself, and to his doctrine, 1 Tim. iv. 6.

12. But, alas ! there are too many, who, can
they have their heads covered with a few gospel
notions, care not though their hinder parts are
seen of all the world. But such are false min-
isters, the prophet calls them the tail. The
prophet that speaketh lies, either by word, or
with his feet, he is the tail, Isa. ix. 15 ; Prov.
vi. 12, 13. >s

13. But what a shame it is to hide his head un-
der this molten-sea, while his hinder parts hang
out. Such an one is none of Christ's oxen, for
they, with honour to their master, shew their
heads before all the world, for that their hinder
parts are inward covered.

14. Look to thy hinder parts, minister, lest
while thy mouth doth preach the gospel, thy

SPIRITUALIZED. 91

nakedness and shame be seen of those which
hear thee.

For they that do not observe to learn this les-
son, themselves, will not teach others to believe
the word nor live a holy life ; they will learn
them to shew their shame, instead of learning
to be holy.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Of the Lavers of the Temple.
• •
Besides this the molten-sea, there were ten
lavers in the temple, five of which were put on
the right side, and five also on the left, 2 Chron.
iv. 6,

1. Of their foshion and their furniture you
may see, 1 Kings vii. These lavers, as the mol-
ten-sea, were vessels which contained water,
but they were not of the same use with it.
True, they were both to wash in ; the sea to
wash the worshippers, but the lavers to wash
the sacrifice. He made the ten lavers to wash
in them such things as they offered for burnt
offering, but the sea was for the priests to wash
in, 2 Chron. iv. 6.

2. The burnt offering was a type of the body
of Christ, which he once offered for our sins,
and the fire on which the sacrifice was burned,
a type of the curse of the law which seized on
Christ, when he gave himself a ransom for usv

JZ SOLOMON S TEMPJ.K^

For therefore, that under the law was called the
burnt offering, because of the burning upon the
altar, Lev. iv. 8.

But what then must we understand by these
layers, and by this sacrifice being washed in
them, in order to its being burned upon the
altar ?

I answer, verily, I think that the ten lavers
were a figure of the ten commandments ; in the
purity and perfection of Christ's obedience, to
which he became capable of being made a burnt
oft'ering, acceptable to God for the sins of his
people. Christ was made under the Jaw, and
all his acts of obedience to God for us were legal :
and his living thus a perfect legal life, was li
washing his offering in these ten lavers, in ord*
to his presenting it upon the altar for our siiv
The lavers went upon wheels, to signify walk-
ing feet ; and Christ walked in the law, and so
became a clean offering to God for us. The
wheels were of the very same as were the la-
vers ; to shew that Christ's obedience to the
law, was of the same, as to length and breadth,
with its commands and demands to their utmost
tittle and extent, The inwards and legs of the
burnt offering was to be washed in these lavers, .
Lev. i. 9, 13 ; 2 Chron. iv. 6, to shew that
Christ should be pure and clean in heart and
life.

We know that obedience, whether Christ's or
ours, is called a walking in the way, typified by
the lavers walking upon their wheels. But J

SPIRITUALIZED. 9o

mean not by Chri&t his washing of his offering,
that he had any filthiness cleaving to his nature
or obedience. Yet this I say, that so far as our
guiU laid upon him could impede, so far he wip-
ed it off by washing in these lavers. For his
offering was to be without blemish, and without
spot to God. Hence it is said, he sanctified
himself in order to his suffering ; and being
made perfect, he became the author of eternal
sjUvation to all them that obey him, John xvii.
19; Heb..v. 6,10.

For, albeit he came holy into the world, yet
that holiness was but preparatory to that by
which he sanctified himself, in order to his suf-
fering for sin : that then which was his imme-
diate preparation for his suffering, was his obe-
dience to the law, his washing in these lavers.
He then first yielded complete obedience to the
law on our behalf ; and then, as so qualified, of-
fered his washing sacrifice for our sins without
spot, to God.

Thus therefore he was our burnt offering,
washed in the ten lavers, that he might, accord-
ing to law be accepted of the Lord.

And he set five of the lavers on the right side
of the house, and five of them on the left.
Thus were the ten divided, as the tables of the
law, one shewing our duty towards God, the
other our duty towards our neighbour ; in both
which the burnt offering was washed, that it
might be clean in both respects.

94 Solomon's temple

They might also be thus placed, the better
to put the people in mind of the necessity of the
sanctification of Christ, according to the law, in
order to his offering of himself an offering '
God for us.

CHAPTER XXXIX.
Of the Tables of the Temple.

He made also ten tables, and placed them in
the temple, five on the right hand, and five on
the left, 2 Chi on. iv. 8.

Some, if not all of these tables, so far as I
can see, were they on which the burnt offering
was to be cut in pieces, in order to its burning.

Those tables were made of stone, of hewn
stone, on which the work was done, Ezek. xl,
40 to 44.

Now, since the burnt offering was a figure of
the body of Christ, the tables on which this
sacrifice was slain, must needs, I think, be a
type of the heart, the stony heart of the Jews.
For had they not had hearts as hard as an ada-
mant, they could not have done that thing.

Upon these tables therefore, was the death of
Christ contrived, and this horrid murder acted,
even upon those tables of stone.

In that they are called tables of hewn stone,
it may be to shew, that all this cruelty was acted
under smooth pretences, for hewn stone ar

Si'IRITUALIZED. 95

smooth. The tables were finely wrought with
tools, even as the hearts of the Jews were with
hypocrisy : but alas ! they were stone still, that
is, hard and cruel, else they could not have been
an anvil for satan to forge such horrid barbarism
upon. The tables were in number the same
with the lavers, and were set by them, to shew
what are the fruits of being devoted to the law,
as the Jews were, in opposition to Christ and his
holy gospel : there flows nothing but hardness
and a stony heart from thence. This was shewn
in its first writing ; it was writ on tables of
stone, figures of the heart of man ; and on the
same tables or hearts, was the death of Jesus
Christ compassed.

One would think, that the meekness, gentle-
ness or good deeds of Jesus Christ, might have
procured in them some relentings when they
were about to take away his life ; but alas !
their hearts were tables of stone ! what feeling
or compassion can a stone be sensible of? Here
were stony hearts, stony thoughts, stony coun-
sels, stony contrivances, a stony law, and stony
"! hands ; and what could be expected hence, but
barbarous cruelty indeed ? I ask you, said
Christ, you will not answer me, neither will you
let me go, Luke xxii. 68.

In that the stony tables were placed about the
temple, it supposeth that they were temple-
men, priests, scribes, rulers, lawyers, &c. that
were to be the chief in whose hearts this mur-

d6 Solomon's temple

der was to be designed, and by them enacted to
their own damnation, without repentance.

CHAPTER XL.

Of the Instruments wherewith this Sacrifice was
slain, and of the Four Tables they were laid
on in the Temple.

The instnmients that were laid upon the
tables in the temple, were not instruments of
music, but those with which the burnt offerings
were slain.

And the four tables were of hewn stone for
the burnt offering ; whereon they also laid the
instruments wherewith they slew the burnt of-
fering and the sacrifice, Ezek. xl. 42, 43.

1. Here we are to take notice, that the table^
are the same, and some of them of which we
spake before.

That the instruments with which they slew
the sacrifice, was laid upon these tables.

The instruments with which they slew the
sacrifices, what were they but a bloody axe,
bloody knives, bloody hooks, and bloody hands ?
For those we need no proof, matter of fact de-
clares it.

But what were those instruments a type of ?

Answer. Doubtless they were a type of our
^ins. They were the bloody axe, the knife.
3nd bloody hands, that shed his precious blood.

SPIRITUALIZED. 97

They were the meritorious ones, without which
he could not have died. When I say ours, I
mean the sins of the world. Though then the
hearts of the Jews were the immediate contri-
vers, yet they were our sins that were the
bloody tools or instruments which slew the Son
of God.

He was wounded for our transgressions, he
died for our sins, Isa. liii ; 1 Cor. xv ; Gal. i.

Oh ! the instruments of us churls, by which
this poor man was taken from off the earth, Isa.
xxxii. 7 ; Prov. xxx. 14.

The whip, the buffetings, the crown of
thorns, the nails, the cross, the spear, with the
vinegar and gall, were all nothing in comparison
of our sins. For the transgressions of my peo-
ple was he stricken, Isa. liii. Nor were the
flounts, taunts, mocks, scorns, derisions, &c.
with which they followed him from the garden
to the cross, such cruel instruments as these.
They were our sins then, our cursed sins, by,
with, and for the sake of which, the Lord Jesus
became a bloody sacrifice.

But why must the instruments be laid upon the
tables ?

1. Take the tables for the hearts of the mur-
derers, and the instruments for their sins, and
what place mqre fit for such instruments to be
laid upon ? It is God's command, that these
things should be laid to heart, and he complains
of those that do not do it, Issuahxlii. 25 ; chap,
Ivii, 11.

9

')^ Solomon's temple

Nor are men ever like to come to good, until
those instruments with which the Son of Gorl
was slain, indeed to be laid to heart. And they
were eminently laid to heart, even by them,
soon after ; the effects of which was, the con-
version of thousands of them, Acts ii. 36, 37.

Wherefore, when he says, those instruments
must be laid upon the stony tables, he insinuates,
that God would take a time to charge the mur-
der of his Son home upon the consciences of
them that did that murder, either to their con-
version or condemnation. And is it not reason,
that th^y who did this horrid villany, should
have their doings laid before their faces, upon
the tables of their heart, that they may look up-
on him whom they have pierced, and mourn,
Zach. xii. 10 ; Rev. i. 7.

4. But these instrmuents were laid but upon
some of the tables, and not upon all the ten, to
shew, that not all, but some of those so horrid,
should find mercy of the Lord.

5. But we must not confine those tables only
to the hearts of the bloody Jews ; they werr
our sins, for the which he died : wherefore th«
instruments should be laid upon our tables too :
and the Lord lay them there for good, that \\(
also may see our horrid doings, and come bend-
ing to him for forgiveness.

6. These instruments thus lying on the ta-
bles in the temple, became a continual motive to
God's people to repentance ; for so oft as they
^aw those bloody and cruel instruments, they

SPIKITUALIZKD. 99-

were put in mind, how their sins should be the
cause of the death of Christ.

7. It would be well also, if the instruments
were at all times laid upon our tables, for our
more humbling for our sins in every thing we
do, especially upon the Lord's table, when we
come to eat and drink before him. I am sure,
the Lord Jesus doth more than intimate, that he
expects that we should be so, where he saith,
when ye eat that bread and drink that cup, do
this in remembrance of me ; in remembrance
that I died for your sins, and consequently, that
they were the meritorious cause of the shedding
of my blood. To conclude, let all men re-
member, that those cruel instruments are laid
upon the tables of their hearts, whether they
see them or not. The sin of Judah is written
with a pen of iron, and with the point of a dia-
mond, upon the tables of their hearts, Jer.
xvii. 1.

A pen of iron will make letters upon a table
made of stone ; and the point of a diamond will
made letters upon glass. Wherefore in this
saying, God informs us, that if we shall forbear
to read those lines to our conversion, God will
one day read them against us to our condemna-
tion.

100

CHAPTER XLI.

Of the Candlesticks of the Temple.

And he made ten candlesticks of gold, accord-
ing to the form, and he set them in the temple,
five on the right hand, and five on the left, 2
Chron. iv. 7.

1. Those candlesticks were made of gold, to
shew the worth and value of them.

2. They were made after the form, or exact,
according to rule, like those that were made in
the tabernacle, or according to the pattern which
David gave to Solomon to make them by. Ob-
serve, there was great exactness in those, and
need they was of this hint, that men might see,
that every thing will not pass for a right ordered
candlestick with God, Exod. xxv. 31 to 36 ; 1
Chron. xxviii. 15, 16.

Those candlesticks are said sometimes to be
ten, sometimes seven, and sometimes one. Ten
here ; seven, Rev. i. and one in Zach. iv. Ten
is a note of multitude, and seven a note of per*
fection, and one a note of unity.

Now, as the precious stones with which the
house was garnished, were a type of ministerial
gifts, so these candlesticks were a type of those
that were to be the churches of the New-Testa-
ment. Wherefore he says, the candlesticks
which thou sawestare the seven churches, Rev.
i. 12, 13,20.

SrilUTUALIZED. 101

1. The candlesticks were here in number ten
to shew that Christ under the New-Testament
would have many gospel churches. And I, if I
be lifted up from the earth, saith he, will draw
all men unto me ; that is, abundance : for the
children of the desolate, that is, of the New-
Testament church, shall be many more than
they of the Jews were, John xii. 32 ; Gal. iv.
27.

2. In that the candlesticks were set by the
layers and stony table, it might be to shew us,
that Christ's churches should be much in con-
sidering that Christ, though he was righteous,
yet died for our sins ; though his life was ac-
cording to the holy law, yet our stony hearts
caused him to die. Yea, and that the candle-
sticks are placed there, it is to shew us also,
that we should be much in looking on the sins
by which we caused him to die, for the candle-
sticks were set by those tables whereon they
laid the instruments with which they slew the
sacrifice.

3. These candlesticks being made according
to form, seem not only to be exact as to fashion,
but also as to work. For that in Exodus, with
its furniture, was made precisely of one talent
of gold ; (perhaps to shew that Christ's true
spouse is not to be a grain more, nor a dram less,
but just the number of God's elect. This is
Christ's completeness, his fulness ; one more,
one less, would make his body a monster.)

* 9*

102 Solomon's temple.

4. The candlesticks were to hold the lights,
and to shew it to all the house, and the church
is to let her light so shine, that they without may
see the light. Matt. v. 15, 16; Luke viii. 16;
ch. xi. 33 ; ch. xii. 35.

6. To this end the candlesticks were supph-
ed with olive oil, a type of the supply the church
hath, that her light may shine, even of the spirit
of grace.

CHAPTER XLII.

Of the Lamps belonging to the Candlesticks of the
Temple.

To these candlesticks belonged several lamps,
with their flowers, and their knops, 2 Chron.
iv. 21.

1 . These lamps were types of that profes-
sion that the members of the church do make of
Christ, whether such members have saving grace
or not, Matt. xxv. 1 — 7.

2. These lamps were beautified with knops-
and flowers, to shew how comely and beautiful
that professor is, that adorns his profession with
a suitable life and conversation.

3. We read that the candlesticks in Zacharii)
had seven lamps belonging to it, and a bowl oi
golden oil on the top, and that by golden pipes,
this golden oil emptied itself into the lamp? ">'^

SJPIRITUAI.IZED. 103

all, doubtless that the lamps might shine, Zach.
iv.

4. Christ therefore, who is the high priest,
and to whom it belongs to dress the lamps, doth
dress them accordingly. But now there are
lamp carriers <^f ^o^orts, such as have only oil
in their lamps,*^rft(J*sirch as have oil in their lamps
and vessels too, and both these belong to the
church, and in both these Christ will be glorifi-
ed. And they shall have their proper places at
last. They that have the oil of grace in their
hearts, as well as a profession of Christ in their
hands, they shall go in with him to the wedding,
but they who only make a profession, and have
not oil in their vessels, will surely miscarry at
last. Matt. XXV.

5. Wherefore, O thou professor ! thou lamp-
carrier ! have a care and look to thyself ; con-
tent not thyself with that only, that will main-
tain thee in a profession, for that may be done
without saving grace. But I advise thee to go
to Aaron, to Christ, the trimmer of our lamps,
and beg thy vessel full of oil of him, (that is
grace,) for the seasoning of thy heart, that thou
mayest have wherewith, not only to bear thee up
now, but at the day of the bridegroom's coming,
when many a lamp will go out, and many a pro-
fessor left in the dark, for that will to such be a
woful day. Lev. xxiv. 2 ; Matt. xxv.

Some there are, that are neither for lamps nor
oil for themselves, neither are they pleased if
they think they see it in others. But they that

iU4 SOLOMON 3 TEMPLE

have lamps, and they that have none, and tliej
which have blown out other folk's light, must
shortly appear to give an account of all their do-
ings to God. And then they shall see what it is
to have oil in their vessels and lamps, and what
it ia to be without it in their vessels, though it is
IB their lamps ; and what a dismal thing it is to
be a malignant to either ; but at present let this
suffice.

CHAPTER XLIII.

Of the Shew-bread on the Golden Table in the
Temple.

There was also shew-bread set upon a golden
table in the temple, 1 Kings vii. 48. The shew-
bread consisted of twelve cakes made of fine
flour, two tenth deals was to go to one cake, and
they were to be set in order in two rows upon
the pure table, Levit. xxiv. 6 — 7.

1. These twelve loaves, to me, do seem to be
a type of the twelve tribes under the law, and
of the children of God under the gospel, as they
present themselves before God, in and by his
ordinances, through Christ. Hence the apostle
says, for we being many, are one bread, &c. 1
Cor. X. 17. For so were the twelve cakes,
though twelve, and so are the gospel saints,
though many. For we being many are one body
in Christ, Rom. xii. 6.

SPmiTUALlZED. 105

2. But they were a type of the true church,
Slot of the false. For j^phraim, who was the
head of the ten tribes on their apostacy, is re-
jected, as a cake not turned. Indeed he is call-
ed a cake, as a false church may be called at
church ; but he is called a cake not turned, as a
false church is not prepared for God, nor fit to
be set on the golden table before him, Hosea
vii. 8.

3. These cakes or shew-bread, was to hare
frankincense strewed upon them, as they stood
upon the golden table, which was a type of the
sweet perfumes of the sanctifications of the
Holy Ghost. To which I think Paul alludes,
when he says, the offering up of the Gentiles
is acceptable to God, being sanctified by the Holy
Ghost, Rom. XV. 16.

4. They were to be set upon the pure table,
new, and hot, to shew that God delighted in the
company of new and warm believers. I re-
member thee, the kindness of thy youth : When
Israel was a child I loved him. Men, at first
conversion, are hke to a cake well baked and
new taken from the oven ; they are warm, and
cast forth a very fragrant scent, especially when
as warm sweet incense is strewed upon them,
Jer. ii ; Hos. xi.

6. When the shew-bread was old and stale,
it was to be taken away, and new and warm put
in its place, to shew that God has but little de-
light in the service of his own people, when
their duties grow stale and mouldy. Therefore

106 Solomon's temple

he removed his old, stale, mouldy, church ot
the Jews from before him, and set iij their room
upon the golden table, the warm church of the
Gentiles.

6. The shew-bread by an often remove, and
renewing, was continually to stand before the
Lord in his house, to shew us, that always, as
long as ordinances shall be of use, God will have
a new, warm, and sanctified people to worship
him.

7. Aaron and his sons were to eat the old
shew-bread, to shew, that when saints have lived
in the world, as long as living is good for them,
and when they can do no more service for God
in the world, they shall yet be accepted of Jesus
Christ, and that it shall be as meat and drink to
him, to save them from all their unworthinesses.

8. The new shew-bread was to be set even
on the Sabbath before the Lord. To shew
with what warmth of love and affections God's
servants should approach his presence upon his
holy day.

CHAPTER XLIV.

Of the Snuffers belonging to the Candlesticks and
Lamps of the Temple.

As there were candlesticks and lamps, so there
wejfe SQuflFers also prepared for these in the

SPIRITUALIZED. 107

temple of the Lord. And the snuflers were
snuffers of gold, 1 Kings vi. 50.

1. Snuffers : The use of snuffers is to trim
the lamps and candles, that their lights may shine
the brighter.

2. Snuffers, you know, are biting, pinching
things, but use them well, and they will prove
not only beneficial to those within the house,
but profitable to the lights.

Snuffers ; you may say of what they were a
type ?

Answer. If our snuffs are our superfluities
of naughtiness ; our snuffers then are those
righteous reproofs, rebukes and admonitions,
which Christ has ordained to be in his house for
good ; or, as the apostle hath it, for our edifica-
tion ; and perhaps, Paul alludes to these, when
he bids Titus to rebuke the Cretians sharply,
that they might be sound in the faith, Tit. i. 12,
13.

As who should say, they must use the snuffers
of the temple to trim their lights withal, if they
burn not well. These snuffers therefore are of
great use in the temple of God ; only, as I said,
they must be used wisely. It is not for every
fool to handle snuffers, at, or about the candles,
lest perhaps, instead of mending the light, they
put the candle out. And therefore Paul bids
them that are spiritual do it. Gal. vi. 1. My
reason tells me, that if I use these snuffers as
I should, I must not only endeavour to take ih€

108 Solomon's temple

supierfluous snuff away^ but so to do it, that the
light thereby be amended ; which then is done,
if, as the apostle saith, I use sharpness to edifi-
cation, and not for destruction, 1 Cor. v. 4, 5 ;
2 Cor. xii. 10.

Are not the seven churches in Asia called by
the name of candlesticks ? And why candle-
sticks, if they were not to hold the candles ?
and candles must have snuffers therewith to
trim the lights. And Chiist, who is our true
Aaron, in those rebukes which he gave those
churches, alluding to these snuffers, did it, that
their light might shine the brighter, Rev. ii. and
iii. chapters.

Wherefore, as he used them, he did it still
with caution to their light, that it might not be
impaired. For as he still thus trimmed these
lamps, he yet encouraged what he saw would
shine, if he helped. H6 only nipped the snuff
away.

Thus therefore he came to them with these
snuffers in his hand, and trimmed their lamps
and candlesticks, Rev. ii. 4, 20, chap. iii. 2, 15.

This should teach ministers, to whom it be-
longs, under Christ, to use these snuffers well.
Strike at the snuff, not at the light, in all your
rebukes and admonitions ; snuff not your lamps
of a private revenge, but of a design to nourish
grace and gifts in churches. Thus our Lord
himself says he did, in his using of these snuf-
fers about these candlesticks, As many, said he.

5P1KITUALIZLL). 109

I love, I rebuke and chasten ; be zealouSj
therefore, and repent, Rev. iii. 19.

To conclude : Watchmen, watch, and let not
your snuffs be too long, nor pull them off with
your fiogers or carnal reasonings, but with godly
admonitions, &c. Use your snuffers graciously,
curb vice, nourish virtue ; so ye will use them
well, and so your light will shine to the glory
of God.

CHAPTER XLV;

Of the Snuff-dishes that were with the Snuffers in
the Temple.

As there were snuffers, so there were also
snuff dishes in the temple. And they were also
made of gold, Exod. xxv. 28, ch. xxxvii. 23 ;
Numb. iv. 9. The snuff-dishes were those in
which the snuffs were put when snuffed off, and
by which they were carried forth of the temple.
They therefore, as the snuffers are, are of great
use in the temple of God.

1 . By them the golden floor of the temple is
kept from being daubed by the snuffs.

2. By them also the clean hands of those
that worship there, are kept from being defiled.

3. By them also the stink of the snuffs is
soonest suppressed in the temple, and conse-
quently the tender noses of them that worship
there, preserved from being offended.

10

110 Solomon's temple

Snuffs, ye know, are daubing things, stinking
things, nauseous things ; therefore we must take
heed that they touch not this floor on which we
walk, nor defile the hands which we lift up to
God, when we come to worship him. But how
must this be done, but as we take them off with
the snuffers, and put them in these snuff dishes ?

Some are for being at the snuffs with theiF
fingers, and will also cast them at their feet, and
daub the floor of God's holy house, but usually
such do burn as well as defile themselves. But
is it not a shame for a man to defile himself
with the vice which he rebukes in another ?
Let us then, while we are taking away the snuffs
of others, hate even the garment spotted by the
flesh, and labour to carry such stink with thp
snuff dishes, out of the temple of God.

Snufi'-dishes you may say, what are they ?

I answer. If sin are the snuffs, and rebukes,
and admonitions the snuffers, then, methinks,
repentance, or in case that be wanting, the cen-
sures of the church should be the snuff-dishes.

Hence, repentance is called a church cleans-
ing grace, and the censures of the church, a
purging out of tlie old leaven, and making it a
new lump, 1 Cor. v ; 2 Cor. vii. 11.

Ah ! were these snuff-dishes more of use in
the churches, we should not have this man's
snuff defile that man's fingers as it doth ; nor
would the temple of God be so bedaubed with
gnuffs as it is.

v\b ! savifls puU^sd off, lig sti^l on the temple

SPIRITUALIZED. U 1

floor, and there stink, and defile both feet and
fingers, both the castings and conversations of
temple worshippers, to the disparaging of reli-
gion, and of making the religious worship but of
low esteem with men. And all, I say, for want
of the due use of these snuffers, and the snuff-
dishes there.

Nay, are not whole churches now defiled
with those very snuffs that long since were
plucked off, and all for want of the use of these
snuff-dishes, according to* the Lord's command-
ment. For you must know that reproofs and
admonitions are but of small use, where repen-
tance, or church censures are not thereto an-
nexed. When ministers use the snuffers, the
people should use the snuff-dishes.

Round reproofs for sin, when they light upon
penitent hearts, then brave work is in the church :
Then the snuff is not only pulled away, but car-
ried out of the temple of God aright, &c.

And now the worship and worshippers shine
like gold. As an ear-ring of gold, and an orna-
ment of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon
an obedient ear, Prov. xxv. 12.

Ministers, it appertains to you to use the snuf-
fers, and to teach the people to hold the snuff
dishes right. Acts xx. 20, 21 ; 1 Tim. iv. 2.
We must often be snuffed with these snuffers,
or our light will burn but dimly, our candle will
also waste : Pray, therefore, O men of God,
look diligently to your people, snuff them as you

e there is need, but touch not their snuff with

112 Solomon's tkmplf.

your white fingers ; a little smutch on you will
be seen a great way. Remember also that you
leave them no where, but with these snuff-dishe-
that the temple may be cleared of them.

Do with the snuff as the neat house-wife doth
with the toad which she finds in her garden ;
She takes the fork or a pair of tongs, and there-
with doth throw it over the pales. Cast them
away, I say, with fear, zeal, care, revenge, and
with great indignation : And then your, church,
your conversation, your fingers, and all, will be
kept white and clean.

CHAPTER XLVI.

Of the Golden Tongs belonging to the Temple.

There was also tongs of gold used in the
temple of old, 1 Kings vii. 49.

1. These tongs were used about the altar, to
order the fire there.

2. They were used too about the candlestick>-
and are therefore called his tongs.

3. Perhaps there w^ere tongs for both these
services, but of that the word is silent.

But what w^ere they used about the candle-
stick to do ?

Answer. To take the holy fire from off the
altar to light the lamps withal. For the fire of
the temple was holy fire, such as at first was
kindled from heaven, and when kindled, main-

SPIRITUALIZED. 113

tained by the priests ; and of that the lamps
were lighted, Lev. ix. 24 ; 2 Cor. vii. 1.

Nor was there upon pain of death, any other
lire to be used there, Lev. x. 1. These tongs
therefore were used to take fire from off the
altar, to light the lamps and candlesticks withal.
For to trim the lights, and dress the lamps, was
Aaron's work, day by day, Numb. viii. 3. He
shall light and order the lamps upon the pure
candlestick before the Lord, and Aaron did so ;
he lighted the seven lamps thereof, as the Lord
commanded Moses.

What is a lamp or candlestick to us, if there
be not light thereon, and how lighted without
fire ? And how shall we take up coals to light
the lamps withal, if we have not tongs prepared
for that purpose ?

With these tongs fire also was taken from off
the altar, and put into the censers, to burn sweet
incense with, before the Lord. The tongs then
were of great use in the temple of the Lord.

But what were the tongs a type of ?

The altar, was a type of Christ ; the fire, of
the Holy Ghost ; and those tongs were a type
of that holy hand of God's grace, by which the
coals, or several dispensations, and gifts of his
Holy Ghost are taken and given to the church,
and to her members, for her work and profit ia
this world.

Tongs, we know, are used instead of fingers ;
wherefore Aaron's golden tongs were a type of
Christ's golden fingers, Song v. 14.
10*

114 SOLOMONS TF-MPLK

Isaiah saith, that one of the sernphims flew
him with a hve coal in his hand, which he haa
taken with the tongs from off the altar. Here
the type and anti-type, to wit, tongs and hands, arc
put together, Isa. vi. But the prophet Ezekiel,
treating of the like matters, quite waves the type,
the tongs, and speaketh only of his holy hand.
And he spake to the man clothed with linen, and
said, go in betAveen the wheels under the cherub,
(where the mercy-seat stood where God dwelt,
Exod. ii. Psal. Ixxx. i,) and fill thy hand with
coals of fire from between the cherubims,
Ezek. X. 2.

Thus you see our golden tongs are now turn-
ed into a golden hand ; into the golden hand of
the man clothed in lihen, which is Jesus Christ,
who at his ascension, received of God the Fa-
ther, the spirit in all fulness, to give, as his di-
vine wisdom knew was best, the several coals
or dispensations thereof unto his church, for
his praise and her edification. Acts ii.

It is by this hand also, that this holy fire is
put into our censers. It is this hand also that
takes this coal therewith to touch the lips of
ministers, that their words may warm like fire.
And it is by this hand that the Spirit is given to
the churches as returns of their holy prayers,
Luke xi. 1,2; Rom. viii. 26.

It was convenient that fire in the^ temple
should be disposed of by golden tongs, but the
Holy Ghost, by the golden hand of Christ's
grace, for that can wittingly dispose of it, ac

SPIRITUALIZKD, 1 1 ."»

( ording as men and things are placed, and to do
and be done in the churches. Wherefore, he
adds, and one cherub stretched forth his hand
from between the cherubims unto the fire that
was between the cherubims, and took thereof,
and put it into the hands of him that was clothed
with linen, who took it, and w^ent out, Ezek. x, 7.
By this hand then, by this man's hand, the
coals of the altar are disposed of, both to the
lamps, the candlesticks, the censers, and .the
lips of ministers, according to his own good
pleasure. And of all this was the tongs in the
temple a type.

CHAPTER XLVII.

Of the Altar of Incense in the Temple.

The altar of incense was made first for the
tabernacle, and that of shittim-wood, but it was
made for the temple, of cedar, and it was to be
set before the vail, that is, by the ark of the
testimony, before the mercy-seat ; that is, at
the entering of the holiest, but not within. And
the priest was to approach it every morning,
which, as to the holiest he might not do. Be-
sides, when he went in to make an atonement,
he was to take fire from off that altar, to burn
his incense within the holy place, Exod. xxx. 4
to 10 ; Lev. xvi. 18.

I . It was called the golden altar, because it

116 Solomon's temple

was overlaid with pure gold. This altar was
not for burnt offering, as the brazen altar was
not for the meat-offering nor the drink offering,
but to burn incense thereon, ver. 7, which sweet
incense was a type of the grace of prayer, Psalm
cxli. 2.

2. Incense, or that called incense here, was
not a simple but a compound, made up of sweet
spices, called stacte, onycha, and galbanum ;
these three may answer to these three parts of
duty, to wit, prayer, supplication, and interces-
sion, Exod. XXX. 34 to 37.

3. This incense was to be burned upon the
altar every morning, upon that altar which was
called the altar of incense, which was before
the vail, to shew, that it is our duty every morn-
ing to make our prayer to God by Jesus Christ
before the vail ; that is, before the door of heav-
en, and there to seek, knock, and ask, for what
we need, according to the word, Luke xi. 9 to
12.

4. This incense was to be kindled every
morning, to shew how he continueth interceding
for us ; and also that all true praise of men to
God, is by the word, the renewed work of the
Holy Ghost upon our hearts, Rom. viii. 26.

5. Incense, as you see, was made of sweet
spices, such as were gummy, and so apt to burn
with a smoke, to shew, that not cold and flat, but
hot and fervent is the prayer that flows from the
spirit of faith and grace, Zach. xii. 10 ; Jer. y.
16.

SPIRITUALIZED, 117

(j. The smoke of this incense was very sweet
and savoury, like pleasant perfume ; to shew
how delightful and acceptable the very sound
and noise of right prayer is unto the nostrils of
the hving God, because it comes from a broken
heart, Psalm \i. 17 ; Song ii. 14.

7. This incense was to be offered upon the
golden altar, to shew us that no prayer is ac-
cepted, but what is directed to God in the name
of his holy and blessed Son our Saviour, 1 Pet.
ii. 5 ; Heb. xiii. 15.

8. They were commanded to burn incense
every morning upon this altar, to shew that God
is never weary of the godly prayers of his peo-
ple. It also sheweth, that we need every day
to go to God for fresh supplies of grace, to carry
us through this evil world.

9. This altar, though it stood without the
veil, to teach us to live by faith, and to make
use of the name of Christ, as we find it record-
ed in the first temple, yet was placed so nigh
unto the holiest, that the smell of the smoke
might go in thither, to shew, that it is not dis-
tance of place that can keep the voice of true
prayer from our God, the God of heaven, but
that he will be taken with what we ask for ac-
cording to his word.

• It stood, I say, nigh the vail, nigh the holiest ;
and he that burnt incense there, did make his
approach to God. Hence the Psalmist, when
he speaks of praying, saith, It is good for me

118 Solomon's temple

to draw nigh unto God, Psal. Ixxii. 20 ; Heb. x.
22.

10. This altar, thus placed, did front the ark ,
within the vail, to put us in mind, that the law
is kept therein from hurting us ; to let us know
also, that the mercy seat is above, upon the ark,
imd that God doth sit thereon, with his pardon
in his hand to save us. O what speaking things
are types, shadows, and parables, had we but
eyes to see, had we but ears to hear !

He that did approach the altar with incense of
old, aright, (and then he did so, when he ap-
proached it by Aaron his high priest,) pleased
God ; how much more shall we have both per-
son and prayers accepted, and a grant of what
we need, if mdeed we come as we should to God,
by Jesus Christ.

But trike heed you approach not to a wrong
altar ; take heed also that you come not with
str mge fire, for they are dangerous things, and
cause the worshippers to miss of what they
would enjoy. But more of this in the next par-
ticular.

CHAPTER XLVHI.

Of the Oolden Censers belonging to the Templer

There were also golden censers belonging to
the temple ; and they were either such as be-
longed to the sons of Levi in general, or that

SPIRITUALIZED. 1113

were for Aaron and his sons in special, Numb,
vi. 16—18.

The censers of the Levites were a type of
ours ; but the censer of Aaron was a type of
Christ's.

The censers, as was hinted before, were for
this use in the temple, namely, to hold the holy
fire in, on which in incense was to be burned be-
fore the Lord, Lev. x. 1.

These censers then were types of hearts ;
Aaron's golden one was a type of Christ's gol-
den heart, and the censers of the Levites were
types of other worshippers hearts.

The fire also which was put therein was a
type of that spirit by which we pray, and the
incense that burnt thereon, a type of our de-
sires.

Of Christ's censer, we read. Rev. viii. which
is always filled with much incense ; that is, with
continual intercessions, which he offered to God
for us, and from whence also there always goes
a cloud of sweet savour, covering the mercy-
seat, Lev. xvi. 13 ; Heb. vii. 25 ; Rev. viii.
3,4.

But to speak of the censers, and fire, and in-
cense of the worshippers, for albeit, they
were all put under one rule, that is, to be ac-
cording to law, yet oftentimes as were the wor-
shippers, such were the censers, fire, and in-
cense.

1 . Hence the two hundred and fifty censers
with which Corah and his company offered, are

120 Solomon's temple

called the censers of sinners ; for they came
with wicked hearts then to burn incense before
the Lord, Numb. xvi. 19.

2. Again, the censers of these men were
called the censers of sinners ; shewing they
came at that time to God with naughty hearts ;
so the fire that was in Nadab and Abihu's censers
is called strange fire, which the Lord command-
ed them not, Lev. x. 1 .

3. This strange fire was a type of that strange
spirit, opposed to the spirit of God, in and by
which, notwithstanding, some adventure to per-
form worship to God.

4. Again, As these censers are called the
censers of sinners, and this fire called strange
fire, so the incense of such is called strange,
and is said to be an abomination unto God, Exod.
XXX, 9 ; Isa. i. 13.

Thus you see that both the censers, fire and
incense, of some is rejected even as the heart ;
spirit, and prayer of sinners are an abomination
unto God, Hos. vii. 14, ch. iv. 12, ch. v. iv ;
Prov. xxviii. 9.

But there were besides these, true censers,
holy fire, and sweet incense, among the wor-
shippers in the temple ; and their service was
accepted by Aaron their high-priest ; for that was
through the faith of Christ, and these were
types of our true gospel worshippers, who come
with holy hearts, the holy Spirit, and holy de-
sires before their God by their Redeemer.
These are a perfume in his nose. The pray

SPIRITUALIZKD. 121

ol' the upright is his delight. David's prayers
went up like incense, and the lifting up of his
hands, as the evening sacrifice, Prov. xv. 8 ;
Psal. csli. 2.

Let them then that pretend to worship before
God in his holy temple, look to it, that both
their censers, fire, and incense, heart, spirit, and
desires, be such as the word requires, lest, in-
stead of receiving gracious returns from the
God of heaven, their censers be laid up against
them ; lest the fire of God devour them, and
their incense become an abomination to him, as
it happened to those made mention of before.

But it is said, the censers of Corah and his
companions were hallowed.

Answer. So is God's worship, which is so
by his ordination ; yet, even that very worship
may be spoiled by man's transgression. Prayer
is God's ordinance, but all prayer is not accept-
ed of God. We must then distinguish between
the things commanded, and our using of that
thing. The temple was God's house, but was
abused by the irreverence of those that wor-
shipped there, even to the demolishing of it.

A golden censer is a gracious heart, heavenly
fire, is the Holy Ghost, and sweet incense, the
effectual fervent prayer of faith. Have you
these ? These God expects, and these you must
have, if ever your persons or performances be
of God accepted.

n

122 SOLOMON S TEMI'LL

CHAPTER XLIX.

Of the Golden Spoons of the Temple

The golden spoons belonging to the temple
were in number, according to Moses, twelv*
answering to the twelve tribes. But when tlu^
temple was built, I suppose they were more,
because of the number of the basons, Numb.
Vii. 14, 20, 26, 32, 38, 40, 50, 56, 62, 68, 74,
80, 86.

2. The spoons, as I suppose, were for the
worshippers in the temple, to eat that broth
withal wherein the trespass offerings were boil-
ed. For which purpose there were several
cauldrons hanging in the corners of that court,
called the priest's, to boil them in, 1 Sam. ii. 13,
14 ; Ezek. xlvi. 19, 20.

3. Now, in that he saith here were spoons,
what is it, but there were also babes in the tem-
ple of the Lord ? There was broth for babes,
as well as meat for men, and spoons to eat the
broth withal.

4. True, the gospel being more excellent
than the law, doth change the term, and instead
of broth, saith there is milk for babes. But in
that he saith, milk, he insinuates, there are
spoons for children in the church.

5. I could not, saith Paul to them at Corinth,
speak to you as unto spiritual, but as unto car-
nal, pvpo as unto babes in Christ. 1 have fed

SriRITUALIZED. 123

nith milk, and not with meat, for hitherto ye
were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye
able, 1 Cor. iii. 1, 2.

6. See, here was need of spoons, milk is
spoon meat ; for here were those which could not
feed themselves with milk ; let them then that
are men eat^he strong meat, for every one that
useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteous-
ness, for he is a babe. For strong meat belong-
eth to them that are of full age, who, by reason
of use, have their senses exercised to discern
both good and evil, Heb. vi. 13, 14.

7. Spoons, you know, are to feed us with
weak and thin food, even with that which best
suiteth with weak stomachs, or with a babish tem-
per. Hence, as the strong man is opposed to
the weak, so the milk is opposed to the strong
meat. ^

8. So then, though the babe in Christ is weak-
er than the man in Christ, yet he is not by
Christ left unprovided for ; for here is milk for
babes, and spoons to eat it with. All this is
taught us by the spoons, for what need is there
of spoons, where there is nothing to eat but
strong meat ?

9. Babes, you know, have not only babish
stomachs, but also babish tricks, and must be
dealt withal as babes ; their childish talk, and
childish carriages must be borne withal.

10. Sometimes they cry for nothing ; yea,
and count them their foes who rebuke their
childish toys and ways ; all which the church

l^i'l Solomon's templl;

must bear, because they are God's babes ; yea,
must feed them too. For if he has found them
milk and spoons, it is that they may be fed there
with, and live. Yea, grown ministers are God
nurses, wherefore they must have a lap to lay
them in, and knees to dandle them upon, and
spoons to feed them with.

11. Nor are the babes but of use in tho
church of God, for he commands that they be
brought to cry with the congregation before the
Lord, for mercy for the land, Joel ii. 16.

12. Incense, I told you, was a type of pray-
ers, and the spoons, in the time of Moses, were
presented at the table full of it. Perhaps to
shew that God will, with the milk which he has
provided for them, give it to them as a return of
their crying to him, even as the nurse gives the
child the teat and milk.

13. You know the milk is called for, when
the child is crying, as we say, to stop its mouth
with it. O babes I did you but cry soundly, God
would give you yet more milk.

But what were these golden spoons a type
of ?

I answer, if the milk is the juice and conso-
lation of the word, then the spoons must be
those soft sentences and golden conclusions,
with which the ministers feed their souls by it.
I have fed you, said Paul, with the milk of the
word ; saith Peter, even as you have been able
to bear it. Compare these two or three texts.
1 Pet. ii. 1—3 : 1 Cor. iii. 2 : 1 Thess. ii. 7.

SFIRITUALIZKD. l2o

1 4. And this is the way to strengthen the weak
hands, and to comfirm the feeble knees. This is
the way to make them grow to be men, who
now are but as infants of days. Thus a httle
one may become a thousand, and a small one a
strong nation. Yea, thus in time, you may make
a little child to jostle it with a leopard ; yea, to
take a lion by the beard ; yea, thus you may em-
bolden him to put his hand to the hole of the asp,
and to play before the den of the cockatrice,
Isa. xi. 6 — 8, ch. xl. 22.

Who is the most stout, was once a babe ; he
that can now eat meat, was sometimes glad of
milk, and to be fed with the spoon. Babes in
Christ therefore must not be despised, nor over-
looked. God has provided them milk, and
spoons to eat it with, that they may grow to be
men before him.

CHAPTER L.

Of the Bowls and Basons belonging to the Tern*
pie.

As there were spoons, so there were bowls
and basons belonging to the temple. Some of
these were of gold, and some of silver ; and
when they were put together, their number was
four hundred and forty. These you read of
Ezra i, 10.

11*

126 Solomon's temple

The bowls or basons were not to wash in, a^
were the sea and lavers of the temple, they
were rather to hold the messes in, which the
priests at their holy feasts, did use to set before
the people. This being so, they wxre types of
that proportion of faith, by which, or by the
measure of which, every man receiveth of the
holy food, for the nourishment of his soul. For
as a man had a thousancl messes set before him,
he, eating for his health, cannot go beyond what
his stomach will bear ; so neither can the child
of God, when he comes to worship at the temple
of God, receive of the good things that are be-
yond the proportion of his faith ; or, as it is in
another place, according to the ability which
God giveth, Rom. xii. 6 ; 1 Pet. iv. 11.

And hence it is, at the self same ordinance,
some receive three times as much as others do ;
for that their bowl, I mean their faith, is able to
receive it. Yea, Benjamin's mess was five times
as big as the mess of any of his brethren : and
so it is with some saints, while they eat with
their brother Joseph in the house of the living
God.

There are three go to the same ordinance, and
are all of them believers, who, when they come
and compare notes, do find their receivings are
not of the same quantity.

One says, I got but little ; the other says, it
was a pretty good ordinance for me ; and the
third says, I was exceeding well there. Why to
be sure, he that had but little there, had there

SriKlTUALIZED. 127

but little faith ; but great faith in him would have
* received more. He had it then according to the
largeness of his bowl, even according to his faith,
even as God hath dealt to every man the meas-
ure of faith, Rom. xii. 3.

Mark, faith is a certain measure, and that not
only as to its degree, for that it can receive, re-
tain, or hold what is put into it.

So then it is no matter how much milk or holy
broth there is, but how big is thy bowl, thy faith.
Little bowls hold but little, nor canst thou re-
ceive, but as thy faith will bear : (I speak now
of God's ordinary dealing with his people.)
For, so he saith in his word, According to thy
faith be it unto thee. Matt. ix. 29.

If a man goeth to the ocean sea for water, let
him carry but an egg-shell with him, and with
that he shall not bring a gallon home. I know
indeed, that our little pots have a promise of
being made like the bowls of the altar ; but
still our mess must be according to our measure,
be that small, or be it great. The same proph-
et saith again, the saints shall be filled like bowls,
as the corners of the altar ; which, though it
supposes an enlargement, yet it must be confin-
ed to that measure of faith which is provided
for its reception. And suppose these bowls
should signify the promises, though the saints, in
the promises, and compared to them, because
they, not promises, are the subjects of faith,
yet it is the promise of our measure of faith in
that, that is nourishing to our souls.

12o SOLOMONS TEMPI-F.

When Ahasuerus made a feast to his subject;;,
they drank their wine in bowls. They did not
drink it by the largeness of the vessel whence
they drew it, but according to their health, and
us their stomachs would so receive it, Esther i.

Thy faith then is one of the bowls or bason>
of the temple, by, or according to which, thou
receivest thy mess, when thou sittest feasting at A
the temple of God.

And observe, all the bowls were not made of
gold, as all faith is not of a saving sort. It is the
golden fiiith that is right, the silver bowls were
of an inferior sort, Rev. iii. 18.

Some, I say, have golden faith ; all faith is not
so. Wherefore look to it, soul, that thy bowl,
thy faith, be golden faith, or of the best kind.
Look, I say, after a good faith, and great, for a
great faith receives a great mess.

Of old, beggars did use to carry their bowls
in their laps, when they went to a door for an
alms ; consequently, if their bowls were but
little, they oft-times came off by the loss, though
the charity of the giver was large. Yea, the
greater the chanty, the larger the loss, because
the beggar's bowl was too little. Mark it well,
it is oft-times thus in the matters of our God.

Art thou beggar, a beggar at God's door ? Be
sure thou gettest a great bowl, for as thy bowl
is, so will be thy mess. According to thy faith,
sfiith he, be it unto thee. Matt. ix. 20.

SPIRITUALIZED. 129

CHAPTER LI.

Of the Flaggons and Cups of the Temple.

The next thing to be considered is, the flag-
gons and cups of the temple ; of these we read,
1 Chron. xxviii. 17 ; Jer. lii. 19.

These were of great use among the Jews,
especially on their feasting days, on their Sab-
baths, new moons, and the like, Lev. xxiii. 13 ;
Numb, xxviii. 7: Chron. xvi. 3; Isa. xxv. G,
ch. Ixii. 8,9.

For instance, the day that David danced be-
fore the ark, he dealt among all the people, even
to the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the
women as to men, to every man a cake of bread,
a good piece of flesh, and a flaggon of wine, 2
Sam. vi. 19 ; 1 Chron. xvi. 3.

In this mountain, that is, in the temple typi-
cally, saith the prophet, shall the Lord of hosts
make unto all people a feast of fat things, a
feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of
marrow, of wine on the lees well refined, Isa.
xxv. 6.

These are feasting times, the times in which
our Lord used to have his spouse into his wine
cellars and in which he used to display, with
delight, his banner over his head in love. Song
ii. 5.

The church of Christ, alas ! is of herself a
vory fickly, puny thing, a woman, a weaker ves-

130 Solomon's temple

sel, but how much more must she needs be >
weak, whan the custom of women is upon her,
or when she is sick of love. Then she indeed
has need of a draught, for she now sinks, and
will not else be supported. Stay me with flag-
gons, saith she, and comfort me with apples, for
I am sick of love. Song ii. 4, 5.

These flaggons, therefore, were types of
those feastings, and of those large draughts of
divine love, that the Lord Jesus draweth for, and
giveth to his spouse in those days that he feast-
eth with her. For then he saith drink, yea,
drink abundantly, O beloved. This he does to
cheer her up under her hours of sadness and de- "
jection ; for now new corn makes the young
men cheerful, and new wine the maids, Prov.
xxvi. 6, 7 ; Psal. cxvi. 13 : Jer. xvi. 7 ; Song
V. 1 ; Zach. ix. 17.

As there were flaggons, so there were cups,
and they are called cups of consolation, and
cups of salvation ; because, as I said, they were
they by which God at his feasting with his peo-
ple, or when he suppeth with them giveth out
the more large draughts of his love to his saints,
to revive the spirits of the humble, and to re-
vive the hearts of the contrite ones. At these
times God made David's cup run over. For we
are now admitted, if our faith will bear it, to
drink freely into his grace, and to be merry
with him, Psal. xxiii. 6 ; Luke xv. 22 — 24 ;
Song V. 1, ch. vii. U, 12 ; John xiv. 23 ; Rev.
iii. 20,

SriRlTUALlZKD. JJl

Tills Is that to which the apostle alludeth,
when he saith, be not drunk with wine, where-
in is excess, but be ye filled with the spirit ;
speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns,
and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your hearts unto the Lord.

For the cups, as to their use in the general,
understand them, as of the bowls made mention
of before. For assurances are the blooms and
flowers of faith ; not always on it, though usu-
ally on feasting days, it is so. So the degree of
the one is still according to the measure of the
other, Ephes. v. 18 ; James v ;* Rom. xv. 13.

CHAPTER LII.

Of the Chargers of the Temple

In the tabernacle they had but twelve of them,
and they were made of silver ; but in the tem-
ple they had in all a thousand and thirty. The
thirty were made of gold, the rest were made of
silver. Numb. vii. 48.

These chargers were not for uses common or
profane, but, as I take it, they were those in
which the passover, and other meat offerings
were drest up, when the people came to eat be-
fore God in his holy temple.

The meat, you know I told you, was opposite
to milk, and so are these chargers to the bowls
and cups and flaggons of the temple.

Jo2 Solomon's temple

The meat was of two sorts, roast or boiled.
Of that which was roast, was the passover, and
of that which was boiled, was the trespass-of-
ferings. Wherefore, concerning the passover
he saith, eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all in
water ; but roast with fire, his head, with his
legs, and with the purtenance thereof. Exodus
xii. 19.

This roast meat was a type of the body of
Christ, as suffering for our sins, the which,
when it was roast, was, and is, as drest up in
chargers, set before the congregations of the
saints.

But what were the chargers a type of?

I also ask, in what charger our gospel passo-
ver is now drest up, and set before the people ?
Is it not in the evangelists, the prophets, and
epistles of the apostles ? They therefore are
the chargers and the ordinance of the supper ;
in these also is the trespass offerings, with what
is fryed in pans, mystically prepared for the
children of the highest.

And why might they not be a type of gospel
sermons ?

I answer, I think not so fitly ; for alas ! the
best of sermons in the world, are but as thin
slices cut out of those large dishes. Our min-
isters are the ' carvers, good doctrine is the
meat, and the chargers in which this meat is
found are the holy canonical scriptures, &c.
though, as I said, most properly, the New-Tes-
tament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

SPIRITUALIZLD. lo3

In these is Christ most truly, lively, and
amply set before us as crucified, or roasted at
the fire of God's law for our sins, that we might
live by him through faith, feeding upon him, 2
Cor. iii. 12 ; Gal. iii. 12 ; Acts iii. 18—21, ch.
xiii. 4, ch. xxvi. 22 : 1 Pet. i. 10 ; x4cts vii.
42 ; ch. XV. 15 ; ch. xxviii. 23 ;«Rom. xvi.
26 ; Rev. x. 7.

There Is in these chargers, not only meat,
but sauce (if you like it,) to eat the meat withal.
For the passover, there is bitter herbs, or sound
repentance ; and for others, as the thank offer-
ings, there is holy cheerfulness and prayers to
God for grace. All these are set forth before
us in the holy scriptures, and presented to us
thereby, as in the golden chargers of the tem-
ple. He that will scoff at this let him scoff.
The chargers were a type of something, and he
that can shew a fitter anti-type than is here pro-
posed to consideration, let him do it, and I'll be
thankful to him.

Christians ! here is your meat before you ;
and this know, the deeper you dip it in the
sauce, the better it will rehsh. But let not un-
belief teach you such manners, as to make you
leave the best bits behind you. For your liber-
ty is to eat freely of the best, of the fat, and of
^^^e sweet.

12

ji.'31 --olomon's temfll:

CHAPTER LIIL

Of the Goings-out of the Temple.

As to the comings into the temple, of them
we have spoken already ; namely, of the outor
and inner court, as also of the doors of the
porch and temple. The coming in was but on'
strait course, and that a type of Jesus Chrif^r
but the goings out were many, John x. ; cb.
xiv. 6.

Now, as I said, it is insinuated, that thegoini
out are many, answerable to the many waA
which the children of men have invented Ia
apostiitize in from God. Christ is the way into,
but sin the way out of the temple of God.
True, I read not of a description of the goinii^
out of this house, as I read of the comings in
only when they had thrust Athaliah out thenc(\
she is said, to go out by the way by which the
horses came into the king's stables, and there
she was slain ; as it were upon the horse dung-
hill, 2 Kings xi. 16.

When Uzziah also went out of this house for
his transgression, he wafe cast out of all societ}
and made to dwell in a kind of a pest hous'
even to the day of his death, 2 Chron. xxvi. 20,
21.

Thus therefore, though these goings out are
not particularly described, the judgments that
followed them, that have for their transgression^

SPIRITUALIZED, 135

been thrust ovit thence, have been both remark-
able and tremendous. For so to die upon (i
dunghill, or jn a pest house, and that for wicked
actions^ is a shameful and disgraceful thing.
And God will still be spreading dung upon the
faces of such, no greatness shall prevent it ;
yea, and will take them away with it, Mai. ii,
i will drive them out of my house, says he, I
will love them no more, Hos. ix. 15.

But what are we to understand in the gospel
days, by goings out of the house of the Lord,
for or by sin ?

I answer, if it be done voluntarily, then sin
leads you out ; if it be done by the holy com-
pulsion of the church, then it is done by the
judicial judgment of God ; that is, they are cut
off, and cast out from thence, as a just reward
for their transgressions, Lev. xx. 18 ; ch. xxii.
3 ; Ezek.xiv. 8; J Cor. v. 13.

Well, but whither do they go, they are thus
gone out of the temple or church of God ?

I answer, not to the dunghill with Athaliah, nor
to the pest house with Uzziah ; but to the devil,
that's the tirst step, and so to hell without re-
pentance. But if their sin be not unpardonable,
tliey may, by repentance, be recovered, and in
mercy tread these courts again. Now the way
to this recovery is, to think seriously what they
iiave done, or by what way they went out from
the house of God. Hence the prophet is bid
to shew to the rebellious house, first the goings
fnif of the house, and then the comings in. Bui

136 Solomon's temple

T say first, he bids shew them the goings out
thereof, Ezek. xliii. 10, 11.

And this of absolute necessity, for the recov
ering of the sinner. For until he that has sin-
ned himself out of God's house, shall see what
danger he has incurred to himself, by this hi?^
wicked going out, he will not unfeignedly desire
to come in thither again. There is another
thing as to this point, to be taken notice of.
There is a way by which God also doth impart
from his house, and that also is by sin, as the
occasion. The sin of man will thrust him out,
and the sin of men will drive God out of his own
house. Of this you read, Ezek. xi. 22, 23.
For thus he saith, I have forsaken mine house,
I have left mine heritage, I have given the dear-
ly beloved of my soul into the hands of her
enemies, Jer. xii. 7.

And this also is dreadful. The great sen-
tence of Christ upon the Jews lay much in these
words, your house is left unto you desolate ;
that is, God has left you to bare walls, and to
lifeless traditions.

Consider therefore of this going out also.
Alas ! a church, a true church, is but a poor
thing, if God leaves, if God forsakes it. By a
true church, I mean one that is congregated, ac-
cording to outward rule, that has sinned God
away, as she had almost quite done, that was of
Laodicea, Rev. iii.

He that sins himself out, can find no good in
the world : and thev that have sinned God ^ut.

.SPIRITUALIZtn.

f an find no good in the church. A church that
has sinned God away from it, is a sad lamp in-
deed. You therefore that are in God's church,
take heed of sinning yourselves out thence ;
also take heed, that while you keep in, you sin
not God away, or thenceforth no good is there.
Yea, woe unto them when I depart from them,
saithGod, ilos. ix. 12.

CHAPTER LIV,

Of the Singers belonginc to the Temple.

Having thus far passed through the temple, I
now come to the singers there ; the singers were
naany, but all of the church, either Jews,, or
proselytes. Nor was there any, as I know of,
under the Old Testament worship, admitting to
sing the songs of the church, and to celebrate
that part of worship with the saints, but they,
who at least, in appearance were so. The song
of Moses, of Deborah, and of those that danced
"before David, with others that you read of, they
were all performed either by Jews by nature, or
by such as were proselyted to their religion,
Exod. XV. 1 ; Judges v, 1,2; 1 Sam. xviii. 6.
And such worship then was occasioned by God's
appearance for them, against the power of the
Gentiles, their enemies.

But we are confined to the songs of the tem-
12*

138 solomOxN's temple

pie, a more distinct type of ours in the churrh
under the gospel.

1. The singers then were many, but thi
chief of them, in the days of David, were Da-
vid himself, Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman, anf^
their sons.

2. In David's time the chief of these singer-
were two hundred threescore and eight, 1 Chron.

XXV.

These singers of old were to sing their songs
over the burnt offering, which were types of
the sacrificed body of Christ ; a memorial of
which offering we have at the Lord's table, tli-
consummation of which Christ and his disciph
celebrated with" a hymn, Matt. xxvi. 30.

And as of old, they were the church that
did sing in the temple, according to institution,
to God ; so also they are by God's appoint-
ment to be sung by the church in the ne^y
Hence,

1. They are said to be the redeemed thai
sing.

2. The songs that they sing, are said to ]>
the songs of their redemption, Rev. V. 9, 10.

3. They were, and are songs, that no man am
learn, but the)^

But let us run a little in the parallel.

1. They were of old appointed to sing that
were cunning and skilful in songs. And an-
swerable to that, it is said, that no man could
learn our New-Testament songs, but the hun-
dred and forty and four thousand, which were

SPIRITUALIZED. 13^

redeemed fi-om the earth, 1 Chron. xv. 22 ;
Rev. xiv.^.

2. These songs were sung with harps, psal-
teries, cymbals, and trumpets, a type of our
singing with spiritual joy from grace in our
hearts, 1 Chron. xxv. 6 ; 2 Chron. xxix 26 — -.
28 ; Col. iii. 16.

3. The singers of old were to be clothed in
line hnen, which fine linen was a type of inno-
cency, and an upright oonversation. Hence
the singers under the New-Testament, are said
to be virgins, such in whose mouth was no guile,
and that were without fault before the throne of
God, 1 Chron. xv. 27 ; Rev. xiv. 1 — 5 ; chap,
vii. 9 — 16; Psal. xxxiii. 1.

4. The songs sung in the temple were new,
or such as were compiled after the manner of
repeated mercies that the church of God had
received, or were to receive ; and answerable
U) this, is the church to sing now, new songs,

Aith new hearts, for new mercies, Psal. xxxiii.

'>; ch. xcvi ; ch. cxhv. %; Rev. xiv. 3.

New songs, I say, are grounded on new mat-
ter, new occasions, new mercies, new deliver-
ances, new discoveries of God to the soul, or
for new frames of heart ; and are such as are
most taliing, most pleasing, and most refreshing
to the soul .

6. These songs of old to distinguish them
from heathenish ones, were called God's songs,
the Lord's songs, because taught by him, and
learned of bim and enjoined to them, to >be sung

140 Solomon's tempi l

to his praise. Hence David said, God hath pu;
a new song into my mouth, even pi^ise to ouv
-God, Psal. xl. 3.

6. These songs also were called the songs o?
Zion, and the songs of the temple, Psalm cxxxvii.
3 ; Amos viii. 3.

And they are so called, as they were theirs to
sing there ; I say, of them of Zion, and the wor-
shippers in the temple ; I say, to sing in the
church, by the church, to him who is the God
of the church, for the mercies, ben^ts, and
blessings, which she has received from him.
Zion songs, temple songs, must be sung by Zion"?
sons, and temple worshippers. The redeemed
of the Lord shall leturn, and come to Zion with
songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads ;
they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow
and sighing shall fly away. Therefore they
shall come and sing in the height, or upon the
mountain of Zion ; and shall flow together thith-
er, to the goodness of the Lord. Break forth
into singing, yc mountains, and let the inhabitants
of the rock sing, Isa. xlii. 11 ; ch. xhv. 23.

To sing to God, is the highest worship we are
capable to perform in heaven ; and it is much if
dinners on earth, without grace should be capa-
ble of performing it, according to its institution,
acceptably. I pray God it be done by all those
that now-a-days get into churches, in spirit, and
with understanding.

5riRITUALIZEI>. 141

CHAPTER LV.

Of the Union of the Holy and Most Holy Temple.

That commonly called the temple of God at
Jerusalem, considered as standing of two parts,
was called the outward and inward temple, or
the holy and most holy place. They were
builded upon one and the same foundation, nei-
ther could one go into the holiest, but as through
the holy place, 1 Kings iii. 1, ch. vi. 1 ; 2 Chron.
V. 1, ch. vii. 2.

The first house, namely, that which we have
been speaking of, was a type of the church-
militant ; and the place most holy, a type of the
church-triumphant ; I say, of the church-tri-
umphant as it is now.

So then, the house standing of these two parts,
was a shadow of the church both in heaven and
on earth. And for that they are joined together
by one and the same foundation, it was to shew
that they above, and we below, are yet one and
the self-same house of God. Hence they and
we together, are called, the whole family in
heaven and earth, Ephes. iii. 14, 15.

And hence it is said again, That we who be-
lieve on earth, are to come to Mount Zion, to
the city of the living God, the heavenly Jeru-
salem, and to an invisible company of angels.
To the general assembly and church of the first-
born, which are written in heaven, and to the

J 42 SOLOMON S TEMfLi:

spirits of just men made perfect, and to Go
the judge of all, and to Jesus the mediator •
the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling,
that speaketh better things than that of Abe)»
Hcb. xii. 22—24.

The difference then betwixt us and theni, i~
not that we are really two but one body m
Christ in divers places. True, we are below
stairs, and they above ; they in their holy-day,
and we in our working-day clothes ; they in
harbor, but we in the storm ; they at rest, and
we in the wilderness ; they singing, as crowne'3
with joy ; we crying, as crowned with thorn
But I say, we are all of one house, one famil
and are all children of one father.

This therefore we must not forget, lest v\
debar ourselves of much of that, which other-
wise, while here, we have a right unto. Let us
therefore, I say, rememb'er, that the temple ol
God is but one, though divided, as one may say,
into kitchen and hall, above-stairs and below, or
holy and most holy place. For it stands upon
the same foundation, and is called but one, the
temple of God, which is builded upon the Lord
our Saviour.

1 told you before, that none of old could go
into the most holy, but by the holy place, even
by the vail that made the partition between,
Exod. xxvi. 33 ; Lev. xvi. 2, 12, 16 ; Heb. ix.
7, 8, ch. x. 16.

Wherefore, they are deceived that think .to
go into the holiest which is in heaven, Avh»"

srmixuALiZED. 143

tWy die ; who yet abandon and hi^te the holy
place, while they live.

Nay, sirs, the way into the honest is through
the holy place ; the way into heaVen, is through
the church on earth ; for that Christ is there
by his word, to be received by faith, before he
can, by us in person, be received in the beatifical
vision. The church on eartji, is as the house
of the women spoken of in the book of Esther,
where we must be dieted, perfumed, and made
fit to go into the Bridegroom's chamber, or as
Paul says, made to be partakers of the inheri-
fance of the saints in light, Esther ii ; Col. i. 12,

CHAPTER LVI.

Of the Holiest or Inner Temple.

■^The most holy place was, as I said, a figure
<?f heaven itself ; consequently, a type of that
where the most special presence of God is ; and
where his face is most clearly seen, and the glad-
ness of his countenance most enjoyed, Heb. ix.
23,-^4 ; Exod. xxv. 22 ; Numb. vii. 89.

The most holy place was dark, it had no win-
dows in itj though there were such round the
chambers ; the most special presence of God too,
on Mount Sinai, was in the thick darkness there,
1 Kings viii. 12 ; 2 Chron. vi. 1 ; Exod. xix. 9,
ch. XX. 21.

1. This hoUest therefore being thus made wsa

141 SOLOMON S TEMPLK.

to shew thiit God, as in heaven, to us on earth,
is altogether invisible, and not to be reached
otherwise than by faith. For I say, in that this
house had no windows, nothing herein could b<
seen by the highest light of this world. Thing-
there were only seen by the light of the fire oi
the altar, which was a type of the shinings ol
the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. ii. And hence it is said
notwithstanding this darknesss, he dwelleth in
the light which no man ^can approach unto
none but the high priest, Christ, 1 Tim. vi. 16
1 Pet. iii. 21, 22.

2. The holiest therefore was thus built, tu
shew how different our state in heaven wiB be
from this our state on earth. We walk here,
by one light, by the hght of the written word,
for that is now a light to our feet, and lantern
to our path. But that place, where there will
be no written word, nor ordinances, as here,
will yet to us shine more light and clear, than if
all the lights that are in the world were put to-
gether to light one man ; for God is light, and
in him is no darkness at all, 1 John i. 6. And
in his light, and in the light of the Lamb imme-
diately, we shall live, and walk, and rejoice, all
the days of eternity.

3. This also was ordained thus, to shew that
we, while in the first temple, should live by
faitli, as to what there was, or as to what was
done in the second. Hence it is said as to that
we walk by faith, not by sight, 2 Cor. v. 7.

The things that are there we pre told of, even

spiRiTUinzKr). 145

of the ark of the testimony jind mercy-seat, and
the cherubims of glory, and the presence of
Christ, and of God ; we are, I say, told of them
by the word, and are taken therewith, and hope
to go to them hereafter : but otherwise we see
them not. Therefore we are said to look, not
at the things that are seen, but at the things that
are not seen ; for the things that are seen are
temporal, but the things that are not seen are
eternal, 2 Cor. iv. 18.

4. The people of old were not to look into
the holiest, lest they died. Numb. xvii. 13, save
only their high-priest, he might go into it ; to
shew that we, while here, must have a care of
vain speculations ; for there is nothing to be
seen by us while here, in heaven, otherwise than
by faith in God's eternal testament. True, we
may now come to the holiest, even as nigh as the
first temple will admit us to come ; but it must
be by blood and faith, not by vain imagination,
sense, or carnal reason.

5. This holiest of all was four square every
way, both as to height, length, and breadth.
To be thus, is a note of perfection, as 1 have
shewed elsewhere ; wherefore it was on pur-
pose thus built to shew us that all fulness of
blessedness is there, both as to the nature, de-
gree, and duration. So when that which is per-
fect is come, that which is in part shall be done
away, 1 Cor. xiii. 8—10 ; Heb. x. 19-«22.

13

146 Solomon's tempi. f.

CHAPTER LVII.

Of the Veil of the Temple.

The veil of the temple was a hanging, mj»d<
of blue, and purple, and crimson, and tine linen ^
and there were cherubims wrought thereon,
Exod. xxvi. 31,32.

1. This veil was one partition betwixt the
holy place. And I take it, it was to keep from
the sight of the worshippers, the things most
holy, when the high priest went in thither to
accomplish the service of God, Exod. xxvi. 33 ;
2 Chron. iii. 14 ; Heb. ix. 8.

2. The veil was a type of two things :

1. Of these visible heavens, through which
Christ passed, when he went to make interces-
sion for us. And as by the veil, the priest went
out of the sight of the people, when he weit'
into the holiest of all, so Jesus Christ, when h*
ascended, was, by the heavens, that great and
stretched-out curtain, received out of the sighi
of his people here also ; by the same curtain,
since it is become as a tent for him to dwell in,
he is still received, and still kept out of our sight ;
For now we see him not, nor shall, until these
heavens be rolled together as a scroll, and pa^
away like a thing rolled together, Isa. xl. 22 ,
Acts i. 9, 10, 11, ch. iii. 19—21 ; 1 Pet. i. 8.

2. This is the veil, through which the apostle
laith, Jes\i^ as a forerunner for us. entered int©

iiFjRITUALIZEP., H7

tlie presence of God. For by the veil here
also must be meant the heavens or out-sprea4l
tirmament thereof. As both Mark and Peter
say, he is gone into heaven, and is on the right-
hand of God, Mark xvi. 19 ; 1 Pet. iii. 22.

3. The veil of the temple was made of blue,
the very colour of the heavens ; of purple,
and crimson, and scarlet also, which are the
colours of many of the clouds, beicause of the
reflections of the sun. But again,

4. The veil was also a type of the body of
Christ ; for as the veil of the temple, when
whole, kept the view of the things of the holi-
est from us, but when rent, gave place to a man
to look into them, even so the body of Christ
while whole, kept that the things of the holiest
from that view, we, §ince he was pierced, have
of them : Hence we are said to enter into the
holiest, by faith, through the veil ; that is to say,
his flesh, Heb. x. 19—22.

But yet, I say, all is by faith : And indeed,
the renting of the veil that day that Christ was
crucified, did loudly preach this to us. For no
sooner was the body of Christ pierced, but the
veil of the temple rent in twain from the top to
the bottom ; and so a way was made for a clearer
sight of what was there beyond it, both in the
type and anti-type, Matt, xxvii. 50 to 53 ; Heb.
X. 19, 20,

Thus you see that the veil of the temple was
a type of these visible heavens, and also of the
body of Christ ; of the first, because he passed

148 Solomon's temple

through it unto the Father ; of the second, be-
cause we by it have boldness to come to the
Father.

I read also of two other veils ; as of that
spread over the face of Moses, to the end, the
children of Israel should not steadfastly behold :
and of the first veil of the tabernacle ; but of
these I shall not in this place speak.

Upon the veil of the temple there was also
the figures of cherubims wrought, that is, of an-
gels, to shew, that as the angels are with us
here, and wait upon us all the days of our pilgrim-
age in this world, so when we die, they stand
ready, even at the veil, at the door of these
heavens, to come, when bid, to fetch us, and
carry us away into Abraham's bosom, Luke
xvi.*22.

The veil then, thus understood, teaches us,
first, where Jesus is, namely, not here, but gone
into heaven, from whence we should wait for
him. It alsp teaches us, that if we would even
now discern the glories that are in the holiest
of all, we must look through Jesus to them,
even through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.
Yea, it teaches us, that we may by faith, througli
him, attain to a kind of presence, at least of the
beauty and sweetness of them.

CHAPTER LVIII.

Of the Doors of the Inner Temple.

Besides the veil, there was a door of the
inner-temple, and that door was made of olive-

SPIRITUALIZED. 14^

iree : And for the entering in of the oracle, he
made doors of olive-tree : The two doors also
of olive-tree ; and he carved upon them cheru-
bims, and palm-trees, and open flowers, and
overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon
the cherubims, and upon the palm-trees, 1 Kings
vi. 31.

2. These doors were a type of the gate of
heaven, even of that which lets into the eternal
mansion-house that is beyond that veil. I told
you before, that the veil was a type of the visi-
ble heavens, which God has spread out as a cur-
tain, and through which Christ went, when he
ascended to the right-hand of the Father.

3. Now beyond this veil, as I said, I find a
door, a gate opening with two leaves, as afore
we found at the door of the outward temple.
These are they which the Psalmist calls to, when
when he saith, lift up your heads, O ye gates,
even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the
king of glory shall come in. Psalm xxiv. 7.

4. The doors of the temple were made of fir,
but these, as you see, were made of olives, to
shew us by that fat tree, that rich type, with
what glory we shall meet, who shall be counted
worthy to enter at these gates. The olive-tree
has its name from oil and fatness of its nature,
and the doors that let into the holiest were
made of this olive-tree.

5. Cherubims were also carved upon theie-
doors, to shew, that as the angels meet us at

he temple door, and also «tand ready at the
13*

150 so]>omon"? temPll

reil, so even at the gate of the mansion-house,
they will also be ready to give us a welcome
thither, and to attend us into the presence-cham-
ber.

6. Palm-trees also, as they were carved upon
the temple-doors, so we also find them here be-
fore the oracle, upon the doors that let in thither :
to shew, that as Christ gave us the victory al
our first entering into faith, so he will finish that
victory, by giving to us eternal salvation. Thus
is he the author and finisher of our faith. For
as sure as at first we received the palm branch
by faith, so surely shall we wear it in our hands,
as a token of his faithfulness in the heaven of
heavens, for ever, Rev. vii. 9.

7. Open flowers are also carved here, to shew
that Christ who is the door to glory, as well as
the door to grace, will be precious to us at our
entering in thither, as well as at the first step
we took thitherward in a sinful miserable world.
Christ will never lose his sweet scent in the nos-
trils of his church. He is most sweet now, will
be so at death, and sweetest of all, when by him
we shall enter into that mansion-house prepared
for us in heaven.

8. The palm-trees and open flowers may also
be a type of the precious ones of God, who
shall be counted worthy of his kingdom. The
one, of the uprightness of their hearts ; the
other, of the good Saviour of their hves. The
upright shall dwell in thy presence ; and to him
that ordereth his conversation aright, I will shew
the salvation of God, Psalm 1. 23 ; ch. cxl. 13.

SPIRITUAMZED. lot

f). Thus sweet in earth, sweet in heaven ;
:id he that yields the fruit of the gospel here
shall find it for himself, and his eternal comfort,
at the gates of glory.

10. All these w^ere overlaid with gold, as yon
may say, and so they were at the door of the first
house. True, but observe, here we have an
addition. Here is gold upon gold, gold laid on
them, and then gold spread upon that. He over-
laid them with gold, and then spread gold upon
them. The Lord gives grace and glory, Psalm
Ixxxiv. 11, gold and gold. Gold spread upon
gold. Grace is gold in the leaf, and glory is gold
in plates. Grace is thin gold, glory is gold that
is thick. Here is gold laid on, and gold spread
upon that ; and that both upon the palm-trees,
and the cherubims. Gold upon the palm-trees,
th;it's upon the saints ; gold upon the cherubims,
th-it'b upon the angels ; for I doubt not, but that
the angels themselves shall receive additional
glory for the service which they have served
Christ and his church on earth.

11. The angels are God's "harvest men, and
doubtless he will give them good wages, even
glory upon their glory then. Matt. xiii. 38, 39 ;
ch. xxiv. 31 ; John iv. 36.

12. You know harvest men used to be paid
well for gathering in the corn ; and I doubt not
but so shall these, when the great in-gathering is
over. But what an entrance into life is here !
Here is gold upon gold at the door, at our first
step into the kingdom.

152 SOLOMON S TEMP.J.K

CHAPTER LIX.

Of the Golden Nails of the Inner Temple.

I shall not concern myself with all the nails
of the temple, as of those made of iron, &c. 1
Chron. xxii. 3, but only with the golden ones,
of which you read, 2 Chron. iii. 4, where he
saith, and the weight of the nails was fifty
shekels of gold. These nails as I conceive,
were all fastened to the place most holy, and of
form most apt to that of which they were a
figure.

1. Some of them represent Christ Jesus our
Lord as fixed in his mediatory office in the
heavens ; wherefore, in one place, when the
Holy Ghost speaks of Christ, as he sprang from
Judah to be a mediator, saith, out of him came
the corner, (the corner stone) out of him th;
nails, Zech. x. 4.

Now, since he is here compared to a nail, a
golden nail, it is to shew, that as a nail, by driv-
ing, is fixed in its place, so Christ, by God's
oath is made an everlasting priest, Heb. vii. 25.
Therefore, as he saith again, the nail, the Aaron-
ical priesthood, that was fastened in a sure place,
should be removed, be cut down, and fall, so he
Avho has the key of David, which is Christ,
Rev. iii. 7, shall, by God, as a nail, be fastened
in a sure place, and abide. Therefore he says
again, and he shall be for a glorious throne, or

SPIRITUALIZED. 153

mercy-seat to his father's house ; and moreover,
that they shall hang on him (as on a nail) all the
glory of his father's house, the offspring, and the
issua ; all vessels of small quantity, from the
vessels of cups, even to the vessels of flaggons.
According to that which is written, and they sung
a new song to the Lamb that was slain, saying
thou art worthy, &c. Isa. xxii. 20 — 25 ; Rev. v.
9—12.

And therefore it is again, that Christ, under
the similitude of a nail, is accounted by saints
indeed, their great pledge or hope, as he is in
heaven, of their certain coming thither : hence
they said of old, God has given us a nail in his
holy place : a nail, says the line, pin, a constant
and sure abode, says the margin, Ezra ix. 8.
Now this nail in his holy place, as was shewed
before, is Christ ; Christ, as possest of heaven,
and as abiding, and ever living therein for us.

Hence he is called, as there, our head, our
life, and our salvation ; and also, we are said
there to be set down together in him, Col. iii. 3 ;
Eph. ii. 5, 6.

2. 3ome of these nails Avere types of the
holy words of God, which forever are settled
in heaven. Types, I say, of their yea, and
amen. Hence Solomon in another place, com-
pares the words of the wise God, to goads and
nails fastened by the masters of the assemblies,
wjiich are given from one shepherd, Eccles. xii.
It.

They are called goads, because, as such prick

151 Solomon's temple

the oxen on in their drawing, so God's word-
prick christians on their holy duties. They ar
called nails, to shew, that as nails, when fasten-
ed well in a sure place, are not easily removed ;
so God's words by his will, stand firm forever
The masters of the assemblies, are, first, tli
apostles : the one shepherd is Jesus Christ.
Hence the Gospel of Christ is said to be ever-
lasting, to abide forever, and to be more stedfast
than heaven and earth, Isa. xl. 6 — 8 ; 1 Pet.
ii. 6, 25 ; Heb. xvii. 20 ; Rev. xiv. 6 ; Matt.
xxiv. 35.

The Lord Jesus then, and his holy words, are
the golden nails of the temple ; and the fixing
of these nails in the temple, was to shew, that
Christ is the same to-day, yesterday, and for-
ever ; and that hisVords abide, and remain the
same forever and ever. He then that hath
Christ, has a nail in the holiest : he that hath a
promise of salvation, hath also a nail in heaven
a golden nail in heaven.

CHAPTER LX.

Of the Floor and Walls of the Inner Temple.

The floor of the oracle was overlaid with
cedar, and so also was the walls of this house.
He built twenty cubits on the sides of the house,
both the floor and the walls with boards of
cedar. He even built for it within, for the ora-
cles, for the most holy place, 1 Kings xvi.

SPIRITUALIZED. 155

,'. In that he doth tell us with what it was
ceiled, and doth also thus repeat, saying, for
the oracle, for it within, even for the most holy
place ; it is because he would have it noted, that
this only is the place that thus was done.

3. Twenty cubits, that was the length, and
breadth, and height of the house : so that by
his thus saying, he teacheth, that thus it was
builded round about.

4. The cedar is, if I mistake not, the highest
of the trees, Ezek. xxxi. 3 — 8.

Now, in that it is said, the house, the oracle,
was ceiled round about therewith, it may be to
shew, that in heaven, and no where else, is the
height of all perfections.

Perfection is in the church on earth, but not
such as is in heaven.

1. There is natural perfection, and so a penny
is as natural silver as is a shilling.

2. There is a comparative perfection, and so
one thing may be perfect and imperfect at the
same time ; as a half-crown is more than a shil-
ling, yet less than a crown.

3. There is also that which we call the
utmost perfection, and that is it which cannot be
added to, or taken from him ; and so God only
is perfect.

Now heavenly glory is that which goes be-
yond all perfection on the earth, as the cedar
goes beyond all trees for height. Hence God,
when he speaks of his own excellency, sets it
forth bv his height. The High God, the Most

loG Solomon's templf.

High, and the High and Lofty One. And Uie
Highest, PsaJ. xcvii. 9. ; ch. cxxxviii. 6 ; Gen.
xiv. 19—21 ; Dan. iii. 21, ch. v. 18; Psalms
xviii. 13; ch. Ixxxv. 7 ; Luke i. 32; ch. vi.
35 ; Psal. ix. 2 ; ch. Ivi. 2 ; ch. xcii. 1 ; Is;),
xiv. 14.

These terms also are ascribed to this house,
for that it was the place where utmost perfection
dwelt.

I take, therefore, the cedar in this place to b*
a note of perfection, even the cedar with
which this house was ceiled.

For since it is the wisdom of God to speak to
us, oft-times by trees, gold, silver, stones, beasts,
fowls, fishes, spiders, ants, frogs, flies, Hce, dust,
&c. and here by wood ; how should we by them
understand his voice, if we count there is no
meaning in them ?

And the cedar of the house within was carv-
ed with knops and flowers, all was cedar : there
was no stone seen, 1 Kings ix. 18.

Knops and flowers, were they with which the
golden candlesticks was adorned, as you read,
Exod. xxxvii. 17.

The Ccindlestick was a type of the church,
and the knops and flowers, a type of her orna-
ments. But what ! must heaven be hanged
round about with the ornaments of saints, with
the fruits of their graces ? Well, it is certain,
that something more than ordinary must be done
with them, since they are admitted to follow
them into the holy place, Rev. xiv. 13, and since

SPIRITUALIZED. 157

it is said, they shall have a far more exceeding
and eternal weight of glory bestowed on them
in the heavens, 2 Cor. iv. 16, 17.

All was cedar, there was no stone seen. Take
stone in the type for that which was really so,
and in the anti-type, for that which is so mysti-
cally, and then it may import to us, that in heav-
en the anti-type of this holiest, there shall never
be any thing of hardness of heart in them that
possess it for ever : all imperfection ariseth
from the badness of the heart, but there will be
no bad hearts in glory ; no shortness in knowl-
edge, no crossness of disposition, no workings
of lusts or corruptions will be there, no, not
throughout the whole heavens. Here, alas !
they are seen, and that in the best of saints, be-
cause here our light is mist with darkness, but
there will be no night there, nor any stone seen.
And the floor of the house Avas overlaid with
gold, 1 Kings vi. 30. This is like that which
we read of, the New Jerusalem that is to come
from God out of heaven, says the text, the streets
of the city were pure gold ; and like that, of
which you read in Exodus, they saw under the
feet of the God of Israel, as it were a paved
work, of a sapphire stone, and as it were the
body of heaven in its clearness, Rev. xxi. 21 ;
Exod. xxiv. 10,

All the visions were rich, but this the richest,

that the floor of the house should be covered^

or overlaid with gold. The floor and streets

are walking places, and how rich will our steps

11

168 Solomon's temple

be then ? Alas ! here we sometimes step into
the mire, and then again stumble upon blocks
and stones. Here we sometimes fall into holes,
and have our heel oft catched in a snare ; but
there will be none of these ; gold, gold all will
be gold and golden perfections, when we come
into the holy place. Job at best took but his
steps in butter, but we then shall take all our
steps in the gold of the sanctuary.

CHAPTER LXI.

Of the Ark of the Covenant^ which xi^as placed in
the Inner-Temple

In the word I read of three arks, to wit,
Noah's ark, that in which Moses was hid, and
the ark of the covenant of God, Gen. vi. 14 ;
Exod. ii. 3, 5. But it is the ark of the cove-
nant of which I shall now speak.

The ark was made of shittim \yood, two cubits
and an half was the length thereof, and a cubit
and an half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and
an half the height thereof. It was overlaid
with pure gold within and without, and a crown
of gold was made for it round about, Exod. xxv.
10, 11.

1. This ark was called the ark of the cove-
nant, as the first that you read of was called
Noah's, because, as he in that was kept from beinjr

SPIRITUALIZED. 1 o9

drowned, so the tables of the covenant was kept
in this from breaking.

2. This ark, in this, was a type of Christ.
For that in him only, and not in the hand of
Moses, these tables were kept whole : Moses
brake them, the ark keeps them.

3. Not only that wrote on two tables of stone,
but that also called the ceremonial, was put into
the ark to be kept. The two tables were put
into the midst of the ark, to answer this, thy law
is within my heart to do it. But the ceremonial
was put into the side of the ark, to shew, that
out of the side of Christ must come that which
must answer that. For out thence came blood
and water ; blood, to answer the blood of cere-
monies, and water, to answer the purifying and
rinsings of that.

The ceremonies therefore were lodged in the
side of the ark, to shew, that they should be an-
swered out of the side of Jesus Christ, Exod.
XXV. 16, 17 ; Deut. x. 6; ch. xxxi. 26 ; Psal.
xl. 8 ; John xix. 34 ; Heb. x. 7.

4. The ark had the name of God upon it ;
yea, it was called the strength of God, and his
glory, though made of wood. And Christ is
God, both in name and nature, though made
flesh ; yea, more, made to be sin for us, 2 Sam.
vi. 2 ; 2 Chron. vi. 14 ; ch. xiii. 6 ; John i.
14; Rom. ix. 5 ; 2 Cor. v. 21.

5. The ark was carried upon men's shoul-
ders, this way and that, to shew how Christ
should be carried and preached by his apostles

H)0 Solomon's templk.

and ministers, into all parts of the world, Exod.
XXV. 14 ; 1 Chron. xv. 15 ; Matt, xxviii. 19, 20 ;
Luke xxiv. 46j 47.

6. The ark had those testimonies of God's
presence accompanying it, as had no other cer-
emony of the law ; and Christ had those signs
and tokens of his presence with him as never
had man in law or gospel. This is so apparent,
it needs no proof. And now for a few compar-
isons more.

1 . It was at that, that God answered the peo-
ple, when they were wont to come to inquire of
him : And in these last days, God has spoken to
us by his Son, 1 Chron. xiii. 3 ; 1 Sam. xiv. 18 ;
Heb. i. 2 ; John xvi. 23, 24.

2. At the presence of the ark the waters of
Jordan stood still, till Israel, the ransomed of
the Lord, passed over from the wilderness to
Canaan, and it is by the power and presence of
Christ, that we pass over death, Jordan's anti-
type, from the wilderness of this world to heav-
en, Josh. iii. 15 — 17 ; John xi. 25 ; Rom. viii.
37—39 ; 1 Cor. xv. 64—57.

3. Before the ark the walls of Jericho fell
down, and at the presence of Christ shall all
high towers and strong holds, and hiding places
for sinners be razed, and dissolved at bis com-
ing, Isa. vi. 20, ch. XXX. 25, ch. ii. 1,2, 13 — 16 ;
2 Pet. iii. 10; Rev. xx. 11—13.

4. Before the ark, Dagon fell, that idol of the
Philistines ; and before Christ Jesus, devils fell,
those gods of all those idols ; and he must reign

SPIRITUALIZED. 101

till* all his enemies be put under his feet, and
until they be made his footstool, 1 Sam. v. 1 —
4 ; Mcirk v. 12 ; 1 Cor. xv. 25 ; Heb. x. 13.

5. The Philistines were also plagued for med-
dhng with the ark, while they abode uncircum-
cised, and the wicked will one day be most
severely plagued for their meddhng with Christ
with their uncircumcised hearts, 1 Sam. v. 6 —
12 ; Psal. 1. 16 ; Matt. xxiv. 51 ; ch. xxv. 11,
12; Lukexiii. 25—28.

6. God's blessing was upon those that enter-
tained the ark as they should ; and much more
is, and will his blessing be upon those that so
embrace and entertain his Christ, and profess
his name sincerely, 2 Sam. vi. 11 ; Acts iii. 26 ;
Oal. iii. 13, 14 ; Matt. xix. 27 — 29 ; Luke xxii.
28, 29.

7. When Uzza put forth his hand to stay the
ark, when the oxen shook it, as despairing of
God's protecting it, without a human help, he
died before the Lord : even so will all those do
(without repentance) who use unlawful means
to promote Christ's religion, and to support it
in the world, 1 Chron. xiii. 9, 10 ; Matt. xxvi.
62 ; Rev. xiii. 10.

8. The ark, though thus dignified, was of
itself but low, but a cubit and an half high :
Also Christ, though he was the glory of heaven
and of God, yet made himself of no reputation,
and was found in the likeness of a man, Exod.
XXV. 11, 12 : Phil. ii. 6—10.

9. The ark had a crown of gold round about
14*

102 >()L0MO\ > J'EMPLh

it ; to shew how Christ is crowned by his
saints by faith, and shall be crowned by them in
i^lory, for all the good he hath done for them :
aM also how all crowns shall one day stoop to
him, and be set upon his head. This is shewed
in the type, Zech. vi. 11, 14. And in the anti-
type, Rev. iv. 10, ch. xix. 12.

10. The ark was overlaid with gold within
and without : To shew, that Christ wi»s perfect
in inward grace, and outward life ; in spirit and
in righteousness, John i. 12 — 14 ; 1 Pet. ii. 22.

11. The ark was placed under the mercy-
seat, to shew, that Jesus Christ, as redeemer,
brings and bears, as it were upon his shoulders,
the mercy of God to us, even in the body of his
flesh, through death, Exod. xxv. 21 ; Eph. iv.
23, ch. V. 1, 2.

12. When the ark was removed far from the
people, the godly went mourning after it ; and
when Christ is hid, or taken from us, then we
mourn in those days, 2 Sam. vii. 2 ; Mark ii.
19, 20 ; Luke v. 34, 35 ; John xvi. 20—22.

13. All Israel had the ark again, after their
mourning time was over : And Christ, after his
people have sorroAved for him a while, will see
them again, and their hearts shall rejoice, John
xvi. 1, 2, 3, 20, 21,22.

By all these things and many more, that might
be mentioned, it is most evident, that the ark of
the testimony was a type of Jesus Christ : and
take notice a little of that which follows ; name-

SPIRITUALIZED. lt)3

ly, that the ark at last arrived to the place most
holy, Heb. ix. 3, 4.

That is, after its wanderings ; for the ark was
made first to wander like a non-inhabitant, from
place to place ; now hither, and then thither ;
now in the hands of enemies, and then abused
by friends ; yea, it was caused to rove from
place to place, as that of which the world was
weary. I need instance to you for proof, none
other place than the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters
of the first book of Samuel ; and answerable to
this, was our dear Lord Jesus posted backwards
and forwards, hither and thither, by the force of
the rage of his enemies.

1. He was haunted into Egypt as soon as he
was born. Matt. ii.

2. Then he Avas driven to live in Galilee, the
space of many years.

3. And when he shewed himself to Israel,
they drove him sometimes into the wilderness,
sometimes into the desert, sometimes into the
sea, and sometimes into the mountains ; and still
in every of these places he was either haunted
or hunted by new enemies.

And last of all, the Pharisees plot for his life,
Judas sells him, the priests buy him, Peter de-
nies him, his enemies mock, scourge, buffet, and
much abuse him. In fine, they get him con-
demned, and crucified, and buried ; but at last,
God commanded, and took him to his place, even
within the veil, and sets him to bear up the mer-
cy seat, where he is to this very day, being our

164 solojioa's temple

ark to s;ive us, as Noah's did him, as Moses' did
him ; yea, better, as none but his doth save hi:s
own.

CHAPTER LXII.

Of the placing of the Ark in the HoHest, or Inner
Temple.

The ark, as we have said, as the text declares,
when carried to its rest, w.ts placed in the inner-
temple, or the most holy place, even under the
wings of the cherubims, and the priests brought
in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto
his place, to the oracle of the house, into the
most holy place, even under the wings of the
cherubims, Exod. xxvi. 33 ; ch. xxxix 35 ; 1
Kings viii. 3 ; 2 Chron. v. 7.

2. Before this, as was said before, the ark was
carried from place to place, and caused to dwell
in a tent under curtains, as all our Fathers did.
To shew, that Christ, as we, was made fora time
to AViinder in the world, in order to his being
possest of glory, 2 Sam. vii. 1, 2, 6 ; Heb. xi.
8, 9 ; John i. 10 ; ch. xvi. 28 ; ch. iii. 13.

3. But now, when the ark was brought into
the hohest it is said to be brought into its place.
I'his world then was not Christ's place ; he was
not from beneath, he came from liis Father's
house ; wherefore while here, he was not at his
place, nor could, until he ascended up where he

SPIRITUALIZED. 1(35

\v;is before, John viii. 33, ch. xvi. 28, ch. vi.
o2,ch.iii. 13.

4. Christ's proper place therefore is the holi-
est. His proper place, as God, as priest, as
prophet, as king, and as the advocate of his peo-
ple. Here, with ns, he has no more to do in
person, as mediator. If he were on earth, he
should not be a priest, &c. His place "and work
is now above with his Father, and before the
angels, Acts v. 31 ; 1 Pet. iii. 22 ; Heb. iv. 14,
ch. viii. 4, ch. ix. 24 ; 1 John ii. 1,2; Rev. i.
1 2

5. It is said, the ark was brought to the oracle
of the house. Solomon was not content to say,
it was brought into the holiest ; but he saith his
place was the oracle, the holy oracle ; that is,
the place of hearing. For he, when he ascend-
ed, had somewhat to say to God on^the behalf of
his people, to the oracle, that is, to the place of
revealing ; for he also was there to receive, and
from thence to reveal to his church on earth,
something that could not be made manifest, but
from this holy oracle. There therefore, he is
with the two tables of testimony in his heart, as
perfectly kept ; he also is there with the whole
fulfilling of the ceremonial law in his side, shew-
ing and pleading the perfection of his righteous-
ness, and the merit of his blood with his Father ;
and to receive and send us word, Avho believe in
him, how well pleased the Father is, w4th what
he has done in our behalf.

6. Into the most holy place. By these words

166 SOLOMO.XS TEMPL!-:

is shewed, whither also the ark went, when it
went to take up its rest. And in that this ark
was a type of Christ in this, it is to shew or fur-
ther manifest, that what Christ doth now in
heaven, he doth it before his Father's facf
Yea, it intimates that Christ even there mak<
his appeals to God, concerning the worth oi
what he did on earth, to God, the judge of ail ;
I say, whether he ought not for his sufferings
sake, to have granted to him his whole desire, a-
priest and advocate for his people.

Wilt thou, said Festus to Paul, go up to Jeru-
salem, and there be judged of these things be-
fore me ? Acts xxv. 9. Why, this our blessed
Jesus was willing, when here, to go up to Jeru-
salem to be judged ; and being mis-judged of
there, he made his appeal to God, and is now
gone thither, even into the holy place, even to
him that is judge of all, for his verdict upon his
doings ; and whether the souls for whom he be-
came undertaker, to bring them to glory, have
not by hi'Ti a right to the kingdom of heaven.

7. Under the wings of the cherubims. This
doth further confirm our words ; for having ap-
pealed from earth to heaven as the ark was set
under the wings of the cherubims, so he in his
interceding with God, and pleading his merits
for us, doth it in the presence and hearing of all
the angels of heaven.

And thus much of the ark of the covenant, and
of its anti type : W^e come next to speak of tbt
merry seat.

SPIRITUALIZED. 16"

CHAPTER LXIII.

Of the Mercy Seat, and how it was placed in the
Holy Temple.

The mercy seat was made in the wilderness,
but brought up by Solomon, after the temple was
builded,with the rest of the holy things, 2 Chr.
V. 2—9.

The mercy seat, as I have shewed of the
ark, was but low. Two cubits and an half
was the length, and an half the breadth there-
of. But the height thereof was without meas-
ure.

1. The length and breadth of the mercy seat
is the same with that of the ark ; perhaps to
shew us, that the length and breadth of the mer-
cy of God to his elect, is the same with the
length and breadth of the merits of Christ,
Exod. XXV. 10, 17.

Therefore we are said to be justified in him,
blessed in him, even according to the purpose
which God purposed in him.

2. But in that the mercy seat is without mea-
sure, as to the height, it is to shew, that, would
God extend it, it is able to reach even them that
fall from heaven, and to save all that ever lived
on earth, even all that are now in hell. For
there is not only breadth enough for them that
shall be saved, but bread enough and to spare.
Tiuke XV. 17.

168 Solomon's temple

And thou shalt, says God, put the uiercy
seat above upon the ark. Thus he said to
Moses ; and this was the place which David
assigned for it, Exod. xxv. 21 ; 1 Chron. xxviii.
11.

Now its being by God's ordinance placed thus,
doth teach us many things.

1. That mercy's foundation to us is Christ.
The mercy seat was set upon the ark of the tes-
timony, and there is rested to us-ward. Justice
would not, could not have suffered us to have
had any benefit by mercy, had it not found an
ark, a Christ to rest upon. Deliver him, saith
God, from going down into the pit ; I have found
a ransom. Job xxxiii. 24.

2. In that it was placed above, it doth shew
also, that Christ was of mercy's ordaining a
fruit of mercy. Mercy is above, is the ordain-
er ; God is love, and sent of love his Son to be
the Saviour and propitiation for our sins, John
iii. 16. f

3. In that the mercy seat and ark was thus
joined together, it also shews, that without
Christ, mercy doth liot act. Hence, when the
priest came of old to God for mercy, he chd use
to come into the holy place with blood ; yea,
and did use to sprinkle it upon the mercy seat,
and before it seven times. Take away the ark,
and the mercy seat will fall, or come greatly
down at least. So take away Christ, and the
flood gate of mercy is let down, and the current
of mercy stopt. This is true ; for so soon a-

SPIRITUALIZED. 169

Christ shall leave off to mediate, will come the
eternal judgment.

4. Again, in that the mercy seat was set above
upon the ark, it teacheth us to know, that mer-
cy can look down from heaven, though the law
stands by, and looks on ; but then it must be in
Christ, as kept there, and fulfilled by him for us.
The law out of Christ is terrible as a lion ; the
law in him is meek as a lamb ; the reason is, for
that it finds in him enough to answer for all their
faults, that come to God for mercy by him.
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness ;
and if that be true, the law for that can look no
further, whoever comes to God by him. The
law did use to sentence terribly, until it was put
into the ark to be kept : but after it was said,
it is there to be kept, we read not of it as be-
fore, 1 Kings viii. 9 ; 2 Chron. v. 10 ; Rom.
X. 4.

5. Let them that come to God for mercy, be
sure to come to him by the ark, Christ. For
grace, as it descends to us from above the mercy
seat, so that mercy seat doth rest upon the ark ;
wherefore sinner, come thou for mercy that way :
for thee, if thou meetest with the law, it can do
thee no harm ; nor can mercy, shouldest thou
elsewhere meet it, do the good.

Come therefore, and come boldly to the throne
of grace, this mercy-seat, thus borne up by the
ark, and obtain mercy and find grace to help in
time of need, Heb. iv. 16.

Wherefore the thus placing of things in the
15

I/O SOLOMONS TEMPLE

holiest, is admirable to behold in the word of
God. For that indeed is the glass, b}^ and
through which we must behold this glory of the
Lord. Here we see the reason of things: Hero
we see how a just God can have to do, and that
in a way of mercy, with one that hfis sinned against
him ; it is because the law has been kept by the
Lord Jesus Christ. For as you see, the mercy-
seat stands upon the ark of the covenant, and
there God acts in a way of grace towards us,
Exod. XXV. 17 to 22.

CHAPTER LXI\f^ J^

Oj the Living Waters of the Innet^^emj'

Although in the holy relation of the butong
of the temple, no mention is made of these wa-
ters, but only of the mount on which, and th^'
materials with which, the king did build it ; \ ^

it seems to me, that in that mouat, and t^

where the temple was built, was a
living water. This seems more than
by Ezek. xlvii. 1, where he saith, H
me to the door of the house and behold
issued out from imdcr the threshold of the^
eastward ; for the fore-front of the ho
towards the east, and the waters came d<
under, from the right side of the hoiite, at
south side of the altar.

SPIRITUALIZED. 171

So again, Joel iii. 18 : And a fountain shall
rome forth of the house of the Lord, and shall
water the valley of Shittim. Nor was the
spring, where ever was the first appearance of
these holy waters, but in the sanctuary, which
is the hohest of all, Ezek. xlvii. 12, where
the mercy-seat stood ; which in Revelations is
called the throne of God, and of the Lamb, ch.
xxii. i, 2.

This also is that whjch the prophet Zechari-
ah means, when he says, Living waters shall go
forth from Jerusalem, half of them towards the
former sea, and half of them towards the hinder
sea, kc. Zech. xiv. 8. They are said to go
forth from Jerusalem, because they came down
to the city from out of the sanctuary, which stood
in Jerusalem. *

This is that which in another place is called
a river of water of life, because it comes from
the throne, and because it was at the head of it,
as I suppose, used in and about temple worship.
It wa| with this, I think, that the molten-sea
and {\\^ ten lavers were filled, and in which the
priests:»washed their hands and feet when they
went into the tample to do service ; and that
also in iWhich they washed the sacrifices before
Ihey ^ered them to God ; yea, I presume, all
thejlshing and rinsings about their worship,
w^Jpith this water.

This water is said in Ezekiel and Revelations

to have the tree of life grow on the banks of it,

xlvii. Rev. xxii. and was a type of the

172

Word and Spirit of God, by which both Christ
himself sanctified himself, in order to his wor-
ship, as high-priest ; and also this water is that
which heals all those that shall be saved ; and
.by which, they being sanctified thereby also, do
all their works of worship and service accepta-
bly, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This water therefore is said to go forth into
the sea, the world, and to heal its fish, the sin-
ners therein ; yea, this is that water, of which
Christ Jesus our Lord saith, whosoever shall
drink thereof, shall live for ever, Ezek. xlvii.
8—10 ; Zech. xiv. 8.

CHAPTER LXV.

Of the Chains "which were in the Oracle or Inner-
Temple.

As there were chains on the pillars that stood
before the porch of the Temple, and in the first
house, so like unto them there were chains in
the holiest, here called the oracle.

These chains were not chains in show, or as
carved on wood, &c. but chains indeed, and that
of gold ; and they were prepared to make a
partition before the oracle within, 1 Kings vi.
21 ; 2 Chron. iii. 16. L^

1 told you before, that the holiest was djlfed
the oracle ; not because in a strict sense the
whole of it was so, but because such an answer
of God was there, as was not in the outwaro

.SPlRlTUALIXlin. 17o

tomple ; but I think that the ark and mercy-
-^eat, was indeed more specially that called the
oracle ; for there will I meet with thee, saith
(rod ; and Irom abov e that I will commune with
i hee. When David said, I lift my hands towards
thy holy oracle, he meant not so much towards
the holiest house, as toAvards the mercy-seat that
^vas therein. Or, as he said in the margin, to-
w^ard the oracle of thy sanctuary, Psal. xxviii. 2.

1 . When therefore he saith, before the oracle,
he means, these chains were put in the most
holy place, before the ark and mercy-seat, to
give to Aaron and his sons to understand, that
an addition;d glory was there ; for the ark and
mercy-seat were preferred before that holy
hous.e itself, even as Christ and the grace of
God is preferred before the highest heavens.
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory
is above the heavens. Psalm cxiii. 4.

So then the partition that was made in this
house by thes.^ chains, these golden chains, was
not so much to divide the holy from the most
holy, as to show, that there is in the holiest house
that which is yet more worthy than it.

The holiest was a type of heaven, but the
ark and mercy seat was a type of Christ, and of
the mercy of God to us by him ; and I trow^
any man will conclude, if he knows what he
says, that the God and Christ of heaven are more
excellent than the house they dwell in. Hence
David said again, Whom have I in heaven but
thee? For thou art more excellent than they,
Psal. Ixxiii. 25.

15*

174 Solomon's temple

For though that which is called heaven, would
serve some ; yea, tho' God himself were out of
it, yet, none but the God of heaven will satisfy a
truly gracious soul. It is God that the soul of
this man thirsteth for ; God, that is his exceeding
joy, Psal. cxliii. 5,ch. xvii. 15, ch. xliii. 4.

These chains then, as they made this partition
of the most holy place, may teach us : That
when we shall be glorified in heaven, we shall
yet, even then, and there, know that there will
continue an infinite disproportion between God
and us. The golden chains that are there, will
then distinguish the Creator from the creature.

For we, even we which shall be saved, shall
yet retain our own nature, and shall still continue
finite beings ; yea, and shall there also see a dis-
proportion between our Lord our head, and us :
For though now we are, and also then shall be
like him, as to his manhood : yea, and shall be
like him also, as being glorified with his glory ;
yet he shall transcend and go beyond us, as to
degree and splendor, as far as ever the highest
king on earth did shine above the meanest sub-
ject that dwelt in his kingdom.

Chains of old have been made use of as notes
of distinction, to shew us who are bond-men,
and who are free. Yea, they shall at the day of
judgment be a note of distinction of good and
bad ; even as here they will distinguish the
heavens from God, and the creature from the
Creator, 2 Pet. ii. 4 ; Jude vi. ; Matt. xxii. 13.

True, they are chains of sins and wrath, but

SPIRITUALIZED. 175

these, chains of gold ; but these chains, even
these also, will keep creatures in their place, that
the Creator may have his glory, and receive those
acknowledgments there from them, which is due
to his majesty. Rev, iv. and ch. v. 11 to 14.

CHAPTER LXVI.

Of the High Priest and of his Office in the Inner-
Temple.

When things were thus ordained in the house
most holy, then went the high priest in thither,
according as he was appointed to do his office,
which was to burn incense in his golden censer,
and to sprinkle with his finger the blood of his
sacrifice, for the people, upon and above the mer-
cy-seat, Exod. XXX. 7 to 10 ; Lev. xvi 11 to 14.

Now for this special work of his, he had pe-
culiar preparations.

1 . He was to be washed in water.

2. Then he was to put on his holy garments.

3. After that he was to be anointed with holy
oil.

4. Then an offering was to be offered for him
for the further fitting of him for his office.

6. The blood of this sacrifice must be put,
some of it upon his right ear, some on the thumb
of his righthand, and some on the great toe of
his right foot.

This done, some more of the blood, with the

176 *OT.OMO.\"'S TEMPLL

anointing oil, must be sprinkled upon him, nml
upon his garment ; for after this manner must
he be consecrated to his work, as high priest,
Exod. xxix.

His being washed in watw, was to shew the
purity of Christ's humanitjr.

His curious robes were a type of all the per-
fections of Christ's righteousness.

The holy oil that was poured on his head was
to show how Christ was anointed with the Holy
Ghost unto his work, as priest.

The sacrifice of his consecration was a type
of that offering Christ offered in the garden,
when he mixed his sweat with his OAvn blood,
and tears and cries when he prayed to him that
was able to save him, and was heard in th'jt he
feared ; for with his blood (as was Aaron with
the blood of the bullock that was shiin for him)
was this blessed one besmeared from head to
foot, when his sweat, as great drops or dodders
of blood fell down from his head and face, and
whole body, to the ground, Luke xxii. 44 ; Heb,
X. 20. ,

When Aaron was tluis prepared, then he offer-
d his oii^ring for the people, and carried the
blooa within the veil, Lev. xvi.

The whirh Christ Jesus also answered, when
he offered his own body without the gate, and
then carried his blood into the heavens, and
sprinkled it before the mercy-seat, Heb. xiii. 1 1
and 12; ch. ix. 11, 12,24.

For Aaron was a type of Christ ;. his offering,

&fIRITUALIZE». IT?

a type of Christ's offering his body ; the bloodi
of the sacrifice, a type of the blood of Christ j
his garments, a type of Christ's righteousness ;
the mercy seat, a type of the throne of grace ;
the incense, a type of Christ's praise ; and thfe
sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon the mercy
seat, a type of Christ's pleading the virtue of hii
suiferings for us in the presence of God in heaven.

Wherefore holy brethren, partakers of the
heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high
priest of our profession, Christ Jesus ; and seeing
we have a great high priest, that is passed into the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast
our profession, for we have not an high priest
which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
ihfirmities ; but was in all points tempted as we
are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come
boldly to the throne of grace, that we may ob-
tain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
For every high priest taken from among men, is
ordained by men, in things pertaining to God,
that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for
sins ; who can have compassion on the ignorant^
and on them that are out of the way, for that he
himself also is compassed with infirmity.

This then is our high priest : and this was.
made so, not after the law of carnal command-
ment, but ;after the power of an endless life ;
for Aaron and his sons were made priests with-
out an oath, but this with an oath by him that
said unto him, the Lord sware, and will not re-
pent, thou art a priest for ever aft^r the order
of Melchisedec»

17S Solomon's temtle

By so much was Jesus made the surety of y
better testament; and they truly were manv
priests because they were not suffered to con-
tinue by reason of death : but this man because
he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priest-
hood. Wherefore he is able to save them to
the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing
he liveth to make intercession for them.

For such an high priest became us, who is
holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens ; who need-
eth not daily, as thote high priests to offer up
sitcrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the
sins of the people ; for this he did once, when
he offered up himself; for the law makcth men
high priests which have inlirmities ; but the
word of an oath which was since the law, mji-
keth the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

Now of the things which we have spoken,
this is the sum : We have such an high priest,
who is set down on the righthand of the throne
of the majesty in the heavens : A minister ot
the sanctuary, and of the new tabernacle which
the Lord pitched, and not man. For every higli
priest is ordained to offer sacrifices, wherefore
it is of necessity ^that this man have somewhat
also to offer. For if he were on earth, he
should not be an high priest, seeing that there
are priests that offer gifts according to the law :
who serve unto the example and shadow of
heavenly things, as Moses was admonished, when
he was about to make the tabernacle. For «cc

SflP.) I I Ai I/.! n. 1 70

?aith he, that thou make all things according to
the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

But Christ being come an high priest of good
things to come, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of bulls and calves, but by
his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
For if the blood of goats, bulls, and ashes of an
heifer sprinkhng the unclean, sanctifieth to the
purifying of the flesh, how much more shall
the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge
your conscience from dead works, to serve the
living God.

For Christ is not entered into the holy places
made with hands, which are the figures of the
true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in
the presence of God for us. Nor yet tbat he
should offer himself often, as the high priest en-
tered into the holiest every year with the blood
of others, for then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world. But now
once in the end of the world hath he appeared
to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And
as it is appointed unto men, once to die, and after
this the judgment, so Chiist was once offered
to bear the sins of many, and to them that look
for him, shall he appear the second time, withy
out sin untp salvation, Heb. iii. 1,2; chap, iv/
14__16; ch. v.1,2; ch. vii. 16 to28 ; ch.rii^.
1 to 5 ; ch. ix. 11 to 28.

i8e

CHAPTER LXVII.
Of the High Priest's going into the Holiest alone.

As it was the privilege of the high priest to
go into the holiest alone, so there was something
of mystery also, of which I shall speak a little :
There shall, says God, be no man in the taber-
nacle of the congregation, when Aaron goeth in
to make an atonement in the holy place, until he
comes out, and has made an atonement for. him-
self and for his household, and for all the congre-
gation of Israel, Lev. xvi. 17, &c.

The reason is, for that Christ is mediator
alone ; he trod the wine-press alone ; and of the
people there was none with him to help him
there, Isa. Ix. 1, 3 ; 1 Tim. iii. 5.

Of the people there was none to help him to
bear his cross, or in the management of the first
part of his priestly office : Why then should
there be any to share with him in his executing
of the second part thereof ? Besides, he that
helps an intercessor must himself be innocent,
or in favour, upon some grounds not depending
on the worth of the intercession. But as to the
intercession of Christ, who can come in to help
upon the account of such innocency or worth ?
Not the highest angel, for there is none such but
one ; wherefore he must do that alone. Hence
it is said, he went in alone, is there alone, and
there intercedes alone. And i\m is manifest, nt^t

SPIRITUALIZED. 181

only in the type, Aaron, but in the anti-typo,
Christ Jesus, Heb. vi. 19, 20, ch. ix. 7 to 12,
23, 24.

I do not say, that there is no man in heaven
but Jesus Christ ; but I say he is there to make
intercession for us alone. Yea, the holy text
says more. I go, saith Christ, to prepare a
place for you ; and if I go and prepare a place
for you, 1 will come again and take you to my-
self, that where I am, there ye may be also,
John xiv. 1 to 4.

This text seems to insinuate, that Christ is in
the holiest or highest heavens alone ; and that
he there alone must be, until he has finished his
work of intercession ; For not till then, he
comes again to take us to himself.

Let us grant Christ the pre-eminency in this,
as also in all other things-, for he is interces-
sor for his church, and makes it for them in the
holiest alone. It is said, he is the light that no
man can approach.

CHAPTER LXVIII.

Of the High Priest's going in thither hut once a
Year.

As the high priest went into the holiest, when
Ij^ thither wen*, alone, so to do that work, he
went in thither but once a year. Thou shall
not come at all times, saith God to him, into the
holy place, within the veil, before the mercv-
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182 Solomon's temple

seat, which is upon the ark, that thou die nto,
Lev. xvi. 2.

And as he was to go in thither but once a
year, so not then neither, unless clothed and
adorned with his Aaronical holy robes. Then
he was to be clothed, as I hinted before, with
the holy robes, the frontlet of gold upon his
forehead, the names of the twelve tribes upon
his breast, and the jingling bells upon the skirts
of his garment ; nor would all this do, unless
he went in thither with blood, Exod. xxviii ;
Lev. xvi.

Now, this once a year, the apostles take spe-
cial notice of it, and make great use of it.
Once a year, saith he, this high priest went in
thither, once a year ; that is to shew, that Christ
should once in the end of the world, go into
heaven itself, to make intercession there for us.
For by this word, year, he shews the term and
time of the world is meant ; and by once in that
year, he means once in the end of the world.

Not, saith he, that he should offer himself
(pften, as the high priest entered into the holy
place every year, with the blood of others, for
then must he often have suffered, since the
foundation of the world. But now, once in the
end of the world, hath he appeared to put away
sin, by the sacrifice of himself, Heb. ix. ,

And having thus once offered his sacrifice
without the veil, he is now gone into the holi-
est, to perfect his work of mediation for us.
Not into the holy places made with hands, which
are tlie figure* of the true, but into heaven

SPIRITUALIZED. 183

itseir ; now appearing in the presence of God
for us.

Now, if our Lord Jesus is gone indeed, now
to appear in the presence of God, for us, and
if this now, be the once-a-year, that the type
speaks of, the once in the end of the world,
as our apostle says : then it follows, that the
people of God should all stand waiting for his
benediction, that to them he shall bring with
him, when he shall return from thence. Where-
fore he adds, Christ was once offered to bury
the sins of many ; and to them that look for him,
shall he appear the second time, without sin un-
to salvation.

This therefore shews us the greatness of the
work that Christ has to do at the right hand of
God, for that he stays there so long. He ac-
comphshed all the first part of his priesthood
in less than forty years, if you take in the mak-
ing of his holy garments and all ; but about this
second part thereof, he has been above in heav-
en, above sixteen hundred years, and yet has not
done.

This therefore calls for faith and patience in
saints, and by this he also tries the world ; so that
they in mocking manner begin to say already,
where is the promise of his coming ? 2 Pet. iii.
4. But I say again, we must look and wait.

If the people waited for Zecharias, and won-
dered that he stayed so long, because he stayed
in the holy place somewhat longer than they ex-
pected, no marvel, if the faith of the world
about Christ's coming is fled and gone long ago ;

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1S4 Solomon's temple

yea, and that the children also are put to wait,
since a scripture little while doth prove so long ;
for that which the apostle saith, yet a little while,
doth prove to some to he a very longhttle, John
xvi. ; Heb. X. 37.

True, Zecharias had then to do with angels,
and that made him stay so long. O, but Jesus is
with God, before him, in his presence, talking
with him, swallowed up in him, and with his glo-
ry, and that is one cause he stays so long. He is
there also pleading his blood for his tempted
ones, and interceding for all his elect, and waits
there till all his be fitted for, and ready to enter
into glory : I say, he is there, and there must be
till theh : and this is another reason why he doth
stay, the time we count so \6ng.

And indeed it is a wonder to me, that Jesus
Christ our Lord should once think now he is
there, of returning hither again, considering the
ill-treatment he met with here before. But
what will not love do ? Surely he would never
touch the ground again, had he not a people
here that cannot be made perfect, but by his
coming to them. He also is jj^de judge of
quick and dead, and will get him glory in the
ruin of them that hate him.

His people are as himself to him. Can a lov-
ing husband abide to be always from a beloved
spouse ? Besides, as I said, he is to pay the
wicked off, for all their wickedness, and that in
that very place where they have committed it.
Wherefore the day appointed for this is set, and
he will, and shall come quickly to do it.

SPIRITUALIZED. 185

For, however the time may seem long to us,
yet according to the reckoning of God, it is but
a little while since he went into the holiest to in-
tercede. A thousand years with the Lord is but
as one day ; and after this manner of counting,
he has not been gone yet full two days into the
holiest. The Lord is not slack concerning his
promise, as some men count slackness ; he will
come quickly, and will not tarry, 2 Pet. iii ; Heb.
X. 37.

CHAPTER LXIX.

Of the Cherubims, and of their being placed over
the Mercy Seat in the Inner Temple.

There .were also cherubims in the most holy
place, and they were set on high above the
mercy seat. See 1 Kings vi. 23 — 28.

1. These are called by the apostles, the cher-
ubims of glory covering the mercy seat, Heb.
ix. 5.

2. These cherubims were figures of the
angels of God, as in other places we have prov-
ed.

3. It is said, these cherubims were made of
image work, and that in such manner, as that
they could, as some think, move their wings by
art. Wherefore it is said, they stretched forth
their wings ; the wings of the cherubims spread
forth themselves, and that the cherubims spread
their wings over the place of the ark, and the
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186 Solomon's temple

staves thereof above, 1 Kings vi. 27 ; 2 Chrou.
ii. 13, ch. v. 8.

4. I read also of those cherubims, that they
had chariots and wheels ; by which is taught
us how ready and willing the angels are to fetch
us when commanded, unto the paradise of God ;
for these chariots were types of the bosoms ot
the angels, and these wheels, of the quicknes>
of their motion to come for us when sent. The
chariots of God arc twenty thousand, even thou-
sands of angels ; the Lord is among them, as in
Sinai, in the holy place, 1 Chron. xx. 28 ; Ezek.
xvi. 9, 15—19,28 ; 1 Kings vi. 17; Psal. Ixviii.
17 ; 2 Kings ii. 11 ; Dan. ix. 20.

5. What difterence, if any there is, between
cherubims and seraphims, into that I shall not
now enquire ; though I believe that there are
as divers orders and degrees of angels in the
heavens, as there are degrees and divers orders
among men in the world. But that these cher-
ubitfiis were figures of the holy angels, their be-
ing tlius placed in the holy oracle, doth declare,
for their dwelling place is heaven, though they
for our sakes, are conversant to the world,
Heb. i.

6. It is said, that these cherubims in this holy
place did stand upon their feet. To shew,

1 . That th6 angels of heaven are not fallen
frofn their stations, as the other angels are.

2. To shew also, that they are always ready at
God's bidding, to inn with swiftness to do his
pleasure.

3. To shew also, that they shall c^itotinue in

SPIRITUALIZED. 187

their station, being therein confirmed by Jesus
Christ, by whom all things consist, Col. i.

7. It is said, there faces were inward, looking
one to another, yet withal, somewhat ascending ;
to shew that the angels doth behold and wonder
atthe mysteries of grace, as^it is displayed to us-
ward from off the mercy sent. The faces of the
cherubims shall look one to another ; towards
the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims
be, Exod. XXV. 20; 2 Chron. iii. 13 ; 1 Pet. i.
12; Eph. iii. 10.

1. Towards the mercy seat : they are desir-
ous to see it, and how from thence (I say,) mer-
cy doth look towards us.

2. They look one towards another, to shew
that they agree to rejoice in the salvation of our
souls, Luke xv. 10.

3. They are said to stand above the mercy-
seat, (perhaps) to shew, that the angels have
not need of those acts of mercy and forgive-
ness, as we have, who stand below, and are sin-
ners. They stand above it, they are holy. I
do not say, that they have no need that the good-
ness of God should be extended to them, for it
is by that they have been, and are preserved ;
but they need not be forgiven, for they have
committed no iniquity.

They stand there also with wings stretched
out, to shew how ready, if need be, the angels
are to come from heaven, to preach the gospel
to the world, Luke ii. 9 — 14.

4. It is said, in this their thus standing, theii
wings did reach from wall to wall, from one sirlt

16**

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188 Solomon's temple

of this holy house to the other ; to shew, that
all the angels within the boundaries of the heav-
ens, with one consent, and one mind, are ready
to come down to help, and serva^ and do for
God's elect at his command. ^^Sff

It is said also, that their wings a^stretched on
.high, to shew, that they are delighted in those
duties which are enjoined them by the high and
lofty One, and not inclined, no, not to serve the
saints, in their sensual or fleshly designs. It may
be also to shew, that they are willing to take
their flight from one end of the heaven to the
other, to serve God and his church for good,
Matt. xiii. 41, 49, ch. xxiv. 31, ch. xxv. 31, e
Thess. i. 7, 8.

CHAPTER LXX.

Of the Figures that were upon the Wall of the
Inner Temple.

The wall of the inner temple, which was a
type of heaven, was, I have already told you.
ceiled with cedar from the bottom to top. Now,
by the vision of Ezekiel, it is said, this wall was
carved with cherubims and palm trees ; so that
a palm tree was between a cherub, and every
cherub had two faces ; so the face of a man was
towards the palm tree on one side, and the face
of a young lion towards the palrn tree on the
other side. It was made through all the hous<r
round about, from the ground to above the door.

SPIPciTUALIZED. 189

where the cherubims and palm trees were raade,
Ezek. xh. 17—20.

1. As to these cherubims and palm trees, I
have already told you what I think them to be
figures of.^fc^e cherubims are figures of the
holy angels J*OTa the palm trees of upright ones.
We therefore here are to discourse only of the
placing of them in the heavens.

2. Now you see the palm trees in the holiest
are placed between a cherub, and a cherub,
round about the house ; which methinks should
be to signify, that the saints shall not there live
by faith and hope, as here, but in the immediate
enjoyment of God ; for to be placed between
the cherubims, is to be placed v/here God
dwells : for holy writ says plainly, he dwells
between the cherubims ; even where, here it is
said these palm trees, or upright ones are placed,
1 Sam. iv. 4 ; 2 Kings xix. 15 ; 1 Chron xiii.
6 ; Psal. Ixxx. 1 ; Isa. xxxvii. 16.

The church on earth is called God's house,
and he will dwell in it forever ; and heaven itself
is called Gq4's house, and we shall dwell in it
for ever, and that between the cherubims. This
is more than grace ; this is grace and glory, glo-
ry indeed.

3. To dwell between the cherubims, may also
be to shew, that there we shall be equal to the
angels. Mark ; here is a palm tree and a cher-
ub. Here we are a little lower, but there we
shall not be a whit behind the very chief of
them. A palm tree and a cherub, an upright one
between the cherubs, will then be round abo»

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190 Solomon's temple

the house ; we shall be placed in the same rank,
neither can they die any more, for they arc
equal to the angels, Luke xx. 36.

4. The palm trees thus placed, may be also
to shew us that the elect of God shall there
take up the vacancies of the fallen angels : they
for sin were cast down from the holy heav-
ens, and we by grace shall be caught up thith-
er, and be placed between a cherub and a cher-
ub. When I say, their places, I do not mean
the fickleness of that state, that they, for want
of electing love, did stand in, while in glory ;
for the heavens by the blood of Christ, is now
to us become a purchased possession : where-
fore, as we shall have their place in the heaven-
ly kingdom, so by virtue of his redeeming blood,
we shall there abide, and go no more out ; for
by that means that kingdom will stand to us un-
shaken, Heb. ix. 12, ch. xii. 22 — 28 ; Rev. iii.
12.

6. These palm trees, I say, seem to take their
places, who for sin were cast from thence. The
elect therefore take that place in -^possession,
but a better crown forever. Thus Israel pos-
sessed that of the Canaanites ; and David, Saul's
kingdom ; and Matthias the apostleship of Judas,
Acts i. 20—26,

6. Nor were the habitations which the fallen
angels lost, excepting that which was excepted
before, at all inferior to theirs that stood ; for
their captain and prince is called son oii the
morning, for he was the anti-type there, I&a. xiv.

sriKITUALIZEb. 191

7. Thus you see they were placed from the
ground up to above the door ; that is, from the
lowest to the highest angel there. For as there
are great saints and small ones in the church on
earth, so there are angels of divers degrees in
heaven, some greater than others ; but the small-
est saint, when he gets to heaven, shall have an
angels dignity, an angels place ; from the ground
you find a palm tree between a cherub and a
cherub.

And every cherub had two faces : so here.
But I read in chap, x, that they had four faces a-
piece ; the first, was a face of a cherubim ; the
second, the face of a man ; the third, the face
of a lion ; and the fourth, the face of an eagle.

They had two faces a-piece, not to shew that
they were of a double heart, for their appear-
ance and themselves was the same, and they
went every one straight forward, Ezek. x. 22.

These two faces then was to shew here the
quickness of their apprehension, and their ter-
ri4)leness to execute the mind of God. The face
of man, signifies them mastei^ of reason ; the
face of a lion, the terribleness of their pres-
ence, 1 Cor. xiii. 12 ; Judges xiii. 6.

In another place I read of their wheels ; yea
that themselves, their whole bodies, their backs,
their hands, their wings, and their wheels were
full of eyes round about, Ezek. i. 18, ch. x. 12.

And this is to shew us how knowing and quick-
sighted they are in all providences and dark dis-
pensations, and how nimble in apprehending the
mischievous designs of the enemies of God's

192 Solomon's temple

church, and so how able they are to undermine
them ; and forasmuch also as they have the face
of a lion, we by that are shewed how full of
power they are to kill and to destroy, when God
says, go forth and do so.

Now with these we must dwell and co-habit,
a palm tree and a cherub ; a palm tree and a
cherub must be from the ground to above the
door, round about the house, the heavens.

So that the face of a man was towards the
palm tree on the one side, and the face of a
young lion towards the palm tree on the other
side.

By these two faces may be also shewed, that
we in the heavens shall have glory sufficient to
familiarize us to the angels. Their lion-hke looks,
with which they used to fright the biggest saint
on earth, as you have it, Gen. xxxii. 30, Judges
xiii. 22, shall then be accompanied with the fa-
mihar looks of a man. Then angels and men
shall be fellows, and have to do with each as
such.

Thus you see something of that little 1 have
found in the temple of God.

CONTENTS.

ii III pier page

1. Where the Temple was built - 13

2. Who built the Temple - - 14

3. How the Temple was built - 15

4. Of what the Temple was built - 16

5. Who was to fell those Trees, and to

dig those Stones with which Solo-
mon built the Temple - - 17

6. In what Condition the Timber and

Stones were, when brought to be
laid in the building of the Temple 20

7. Of the Foundation of the Temple 22

8. Of the Richness of the Stones which

were laid for the Foundation of the
Temple - - - 23

9. Which Way the Face or Front of the

Temple stood - - 26

10. Of the Courts of the Temple - 28
H. Of the great Brazen Altar that stood

in the Inner Court of the Temple 31

12. Of the Pillars which were before the

Porch of the Temple - - 34

13. Of the Height of the Pillars, &c. - 36

14. Of the Chapiters of the Pillars of the

Temple ... 38

15. Of the Pomegranates adjoining to the

Nets on the Chapiters - - 39

16. Of the Chains that were upon these

Pillars that stood before the Temple '

104 CONTENTS.

17. Of the Lilly-work, &c. - - 43

18. Of the Fashion of the Temple '- 45

19. Of the outward Glory of the Temple 48

20. Of the Porch of the Temple - 50

21. Of the Ornaments of the Porch of the

Temple - - - 53

22. Of the Ascent by which they went up

into the Porch of Temple - 55

23. Of the Gate ofthe Porch of the Temple 57

24. Of the Pinnacles of the Temple - 69

25. Of the Porters of the Temple - 60

26. Of the Charge of the Porters of the

Temple more particularly - 62

27. Of the Doors of the Temple - 64

28. Of the Leaves of the Gate of the

Temple - - - 66

29. What the Doors of the Temple were

made of - - - 68

30. How the Doors of the Temple were

adorned - - - 70

31. Of the Wall of the Temple - 74

32. Of the garnishing ofthe Temple wilh

precious Stones - - 77

33. Of the Windows of the Temple - 79

34. Of the Chambers of the Temple - 80

35. Of the Stairs by which they went up

into the Chambers of the Temple 83

36. Of the Molten-Sea which was in the

Temple - - - 86

37. Upon what the Molten-Sea stood in

the Temple - - 88

38. Of the Lavers of the Temple - 91

39. Of the Table in the Temple - 94

CONTENTS. IDo

40» Of the Instruments wherewith the Sac-
rifices were slain, and of the Four
Tables they were laid on in the
Temple - - - 96

41. Of the Candlesticks of the Temple 100

42. Of the Lamps belonging to th*e Can-

dlesticks of the Temple - 102

43. Of the Shew-bread on the Golden

Table in the Temple - - 104

44. Of the Snuffers belonging to the Can-

dlesticks and Lamps of the Temple 106

45. Of the Snuff-dishes that were with

the Snuffers of the Temple - 109

46. Of the Golden Tongs belonging to

the Temple - - - 112

47. Of the Altar of Incense in the Temple 115

48. Of the Golden Censers belonging to

the Temple - - 118

49. Of the Golden Spoons of the Temple 1 22

50. Of the Bowls and Basons belonging

to the Temple - - 125

51. Of the Flaggons and Cups of the

Temple - - - 129

52. Of the Chargers of the Temple 131

53. Of the Goings out of the Temple 134

54. Of the Singers belonging to the

Temple - - - 137

55. Of the Union of the Holy and Most

Holy Temple - - 141

56. Of the Hohest or Inner-Temple - 143

57. Of the Veil of the Temple - 146

58. Of the Doors of the Inner-Temple 148

H)6 CONTENTS.

59. Of the Golden Nails of the Inner

Temple - - - 152

CO. Of the Floor and Walls of the inner

Temple - - - 154

61. Of the Ark of the Covenant which

was placed in the Inner-Temple 1 58

62. Of the placing of the Ark in the Ho-

liest or Inner Temple - 161

63. Of the Mercy-Seat, kc. - 167

64. Of the Living Waters of the Inner- ,

Temple - - - ITc

65. Of the Chains which were in the

Oracle or Inner-Temple - K

66. Of the High Priest and of his Office

in the Inner-Temple - !*<>

67. Of the High Priest's going into the
Holiest alone - - - 1 CO

68. Of the High Priest's going in thither

but once a Year - - 1 "'• 1

69. Of the Cherubims, and of their being

placed over the Mercy-Seat in the
Inner-Temple - - 1^-

70. Of the Figures that were upon the

Walls of the Inner-Temple - l^'^'